Meaning & use
steamrolling someone
Last updated
“steamrolling someone” is a form of “steamroll”.
Meanings
phrasephrasal verbfigurative
forcing someone to accept your ideas or plans by using your power or by ignoring their opinions
Grammar: Takes an object: 'steamrolling someone'. It is often used in progressive tenses: 'He is steamrolling the committee.'
Patterns
- steamrolling someone into doing something
- steamrolling someone over something
- steamrolling the opposition
The manager was steamrolling his team into agreeing with the new policy.
She felt like she was being steamrolled during the negotiation.
The government was accused of steamrolling the public over the new law.
phrasephrasal verbinformal
defeating someone completely and easily in a competition or fight
Grammar: Often used in sports or games: 'They were steamrolling their opponents.'
Patterns
- steamrolling the other team
- steamrolling the competition
The champion was steamrolling every opponent in the tournament.
Our team was steamrolling the other side until the final minute.
He was steamrolling his way through the chess match.
Word forms
| third person singular | steamrolls |
|---|---|
| past tense | steamrolled |
| past participle | steamrolled |
| present participle | steamrolling |
Common combinations
- steamrolling the opposition
- The new CEO was steamrolling the opposition to get her plan approved.
- steamrolling someone into
- They were steamrolling him into signing the contract.
- steamrolling the competition
- The company was steamrolling the competition with its new product.
- get steamrolled
- Small businesses often get steamrolled by large corporations.
Synonyms and how they differ
- bulldozing
- Similar but often implies more aggressive and forceful action, like pushing something out of the way.
- overpowering
- Focuses on using greater strength to defeat or control someone, not necessarily on ignoring opinions.
- railroading
- Means forcing something through quickly and unfairly, often in a meeting or legal process.
Opposites
Word family
- steamroll verb
- To force something through or defeat someone completely.
- steamroller noun
- A heavy vehicle with a large roller, used to flatten roads; also used figuratively for a powerful force.
Commonly confused: steamrolling someone or steamrolling (literal)?
steamrolling someone vs steamrolling (literal)
The literal meaning is using a steamroller to flatten a road. The figurative meaning is about forcing someone or defeating them easily.
Practice
What does 'steamrolling someone' mean in a business context?
Choose one answer.
In business, 'steamrolling someone' means pushing your ideas through forcefully, often without considering others. The other options describe cooperation or careful communication, which are the opposite.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “steamrolling someone”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.