English Lexicon

Steamroll

/ˈstiːm.roʊl/
verbnounCEFR C1 (Advanced)Top #8500 frequency
Full Thesaurus

Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As verb
  1. 1

    To overwhelm or defeat someone or something completely and forcefully.

    "Our team managed to steamroll the competition in the championship game."
  2. 2

    To force a decision or policy through without considering opposition or objections.

    "The committee tried to steamroll the new zoning laws through the council."

Thesaurus & Semantic Spectrum

Antonyms & Contrasting Words (1)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

Derived from the late 19th-century invention of the steamroller, a heavy steam-powered vehicle used to flatten and compact road surfaces. By the early 20th century, the term metaphorical shifted to describe the overwhelming defeat of an opponent or the forceful overriding of opposition.

Quick Vocabulary Retention Check

Which of the following is the closest synonym for "Steamroll"?

Thesaurus & Synonyms Graph

Explore Nuanced Synonyms for "Steamroll"

Discover exact matches, context-specific alternatives, and antonyms with intensity ratings in the VocabDictionary Thesaurus.

View "Steamroll" Synonym Map