overthrow
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to remove a leader or a government from power, usually by using force.
v.to remove a government or leader from power by force or through a popular uprising. Transitive — requires a direct object representing the authority being removed.
Simple“The citizens gathered in the square to overthrow the cruel dictator.”
In context“The military junta attempted to overthrow the democratically elected government, leading to months of civil unrest and international sanctions.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.the act of removing a government or leader by force.
n.the act of removing a ruler or government from power, especially by force or threat. Countable or uncountable depending on the context of the event.
Simple“The sudden overthrow of the king surprised the entire world.”
In context“Historians still debate whether the overthrow of the regime was a spontaneous popular movement or a carefully planned conspiracy by the elite.”
Antonyms
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.
From over- + throw.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.