overwhelm
/ˌovɚˈʍɛlm/verb
To sweep over and completely cover or bury something, as a flood does.
Example sentences
- “Rising floodwaters overwhelmed the small coastal village.”
- “A landslide overwhelmed the road, cutting off the valley for days.”
Today mostly emotional or logistical: overwhelmed with work. The literal flood sense survives in 'overwhelmed by rising waters'.