overthrow
verb (used with object)
to depose, as from a position of power; overcome, defeat, or vanquish.
was overthrowing
-
past progressiveof overthrow.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
People felt Jones was not mobile; he was not making great decisions; he was overthrowing guys.
From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2025
He was overthrowing, and his fastball straightened out, making it easier to hit.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 4, 2022
By the time he was overthrowing Aristotelian physics, Nicolaus Copernicus had devised the math allowing Earth to be a planet, and Galileo had made the decisive observations validating that prediction.
From Scientific American ● Aug. 15, 2019
Mr. Eugene fumed as he watched the Wolves commit one blunder after another: The quarterback was overthrowing his receivers, the safeties were lagging in coverage and the offensive line was getting steamrolled.
From New York Times ● Oct. 15, 2016
But the Bishop was overthrowing the work of ten years with apparently as little consciousness of the ruin he was creating as a boar that has rooted up an ant-heap with his snout.
From The Altar Steps by Compton MacKenzie
