overthrow.
To bring about the downfall of (a government, etc.), especially by force; to usurp.
Meaning & usage
To bring about the downfall of (a government, etc.), especially by force; to usurp.
I hate the current government, but not enough to want to overthrow them.
To throw down to the ground, to overturn.
Where this word comes from
From Middle English overthrowen, equivalent to over- + throw. Compare Dutch overdraaien, German überdrehen, Old English oferweorpan (“to overthrow”). For the noun sense, compare Middle English overthrow, overthrowe (“destruction, downfall”), from the verb.
A removal, especially of a ruler or government, by force or threat of force; usurpation.
An act of throwing something to the ground; an overturning.
Where this word comes from
From Middle English overthrowen, equivalent to over- + throw. Compare Dutch overdraaien, German überdrehen, Old English oferweorpan (“to overthrow”). For the noun sense, compare Middle English overthrow, overthrowe (“destruction, downfall”), from the verb.
To throw (something) so that it goes too far.
He overthrew first base, for an error.
Where this word comes from
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *úp Proto-Indo-European *-er Proto-Indo-European *upér Proto-Germanic *uber Old English ofer- Middle English over- English over- English throw English overthrow From over- + throw.
A throw that goes too far.
He overthrew the ball and it went for four runs.
A throw that goes too far. A run scored by the batting side when a fielder throws the ball back to the infield, whence it continues to the opposite outfield.
Where this word comes from
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *úp Proto-Indo-European *-er Proto-Indo-European *upér Proto-Germanic *uber Old English ofer- Middle English over- English over- English throw English overthrow From over- + throw.
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Definitions, grammatical labels, IPA, etymology and examples: Wiktionary contributors, extracted by Kaikki / Wiktextract. Adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected fields and authored examples are shown; third-party quotations and audio are omitted. See contributor history.
Last enriched 2026-09-10. Definitions are in English. Romanizations are shown when supplied by the source; syllable estimates are omitted for unsupported scripts.