Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • transitive verb To bring about the downfall, destruction, or ending of, especially by force or concerted action.
  • transitive verb Sports To throw a ball or other object over and beyond (an intended target).
  • transitive verb To throw or push over; overturn.
  • noun An instance of overthrowing, especially one that results in downfall or destruction.
  • noun Sports The throwing of a ball over and beyond a target, especially in baseball.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun The act of overthrowing, or the state of being overthrown; subversion; destruction; discomfiture; defeat; conquest: as, the overthrow of a tower, of a city, of plans, of one's reason.
  • noun Synonyms Prostration, wreck, rout. See defeat, v. t.
  • To overturn; upset.
  • To throw down; prostrate.
  • Hence — To overcome; defeat; vanquish.
  • To subvert; overturn; ruin; spoil.
  • To cast down; deject.
  • Synonyms Overpower, Overwhelm, etc. (see defeat), overcome, master, worst, crush. Subvert, etc. See overturn.
  • noun In cricket, a throw of the ball which sends it past the fielder at the wicket, so that additional runs are made in consequence.
  • In cricket, to throw (the ball) inaccurately at the wicket, and so give unearned runs to the opposing batsman.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun The act of overthrowing; the state of being overthrown; ruin.
  • noun (Baseball) The act of throwing a ball too high, as over a player's head.
  • noun (Cricket) A faulty return of the ball by a fielder, so that the striker makes an additional run.
  • transitive verb To throw over; to overturn; to upset; to turn upside down.
  • transitive verb To cause to fall or to fail; to subvert; to defeat; to make a ruin of; to destroy.
  • transitive verb (Baseball) To throw (a baseball) beyond; to throw too high and too far; to overshoot{1}.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb transitive To throw down to the ground, to overturn.
  • verb transitive To bring about the downfall of (a government, etc.), especially by force.
  • noun A removal, especially of a ruler or government, by force or threat of force.
  • verb transitive, intransitive To throw (something) so that it goes too far.
  • noun sports A throw that goes too far.
  • noun cricket A run scored by the batting side when a fielder throws the ball back to the infield, whence it continues to the opposite outfield.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb cause the downfall of; of rulers
  • noun the termination of a ruler or institution (especially by force)
  • verb rule against
  • noun the act of disturbing the mind or body

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

over- +‎ throw

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From over- +‎ throw.

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word overthrow.

Examples

  • As Galula explained, one of the main advantages that insurgents have over the governments they seek to overthrow is their lack of responsibility for governance.

    Be-bop Galula « Isegoria 2008

  • I was just trying to overthrow from the beginning, just trying to do stuff that is not myself.

    USATODAY.com 2004

  • I have no doubt that if Pinochet's government could not be defeated by weapons, because no one could carry out a short-term overthrow, the correct thing to do was to exploit all other possible means to change the situation in the country, even though it would not imply Pinochet's overthrow, but a lengthy and complex process, as is the process in Chile today.

    Castro Discusses Ties With Chile in Interview 1991

  • To the conqueror direct, only two days later, was recommended in explicit terms the overthrow of Romanism in religion, "the most dangerous obstacle to the establishment of the French constitution."

    The Life of Napoleon Bonaparte Vol. I. (of IV.) William Milligan Sloane 1889

  • For the Lord hath turned away the excellency of Jacob -- that is, the time for Nineveh's overthrow is ripe, because Jacob (Judah) and Israel

    Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible 1871

  • Ameer, met his downfall with resignation and composure, though with sadness, for he knew the fate of a Persian minister whose overthrow is followed by imprisonment.

    Glimpses of Life and Manners in Persia 1856

  • This implies that the church has enemies that fight against it, and endeavour its ruin overthrow, here represented by the gates of hell, that is, the city of hell; (which is directly opposite to this heavenly city, this city of the living God), the devil's interest among the children of men.

    Commentary on the Whole Bible Volume V (Matthew to John) 1721

  • What do you mean "overthrow" - you mean that one morning I come on guard duty and shoot the sergeant? '

    Funeral In Berlin Deighton, Len, 1929- 1964

  • a further overthrow is foretold (Jer 49: 23; Zec 9: 1).

    Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible 1871

  • Is there someone who recalls the overthrow of the Taliban as an internal Afghan uprising?

    New Math | ATTACKERMAN 2009

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.

  • Cricket jargon: situation where a fielder's errant throw results in more runs being scored than would otherwise have been the case. The runs are credited to the batsman.

    October 3, 2009