Irregular verbs Regular verbs
overthrow, overthrows, overthrowing, overthrown, overthrew
Synonyms: topple, depose, unseat, oust, subvert
Antonyms: uphold, support, defend, maintain, install
The Verb Overthrow – Definition, Usage, and Clarification The verb overthrow is an irregular verb meaning to remove a government, leader, or ruler from power, typically by force. VERB FORMS ■ Base Form: overthrow ■ Past Simple: overthrew ■ Past Participle: overthrown ■ Present Participle/Gerund: overthrowing USAGE AND CONTEXT 'Overthrow' is a strong verb used almost exclusively in the context of politics, revolutions, and coups d'état. 1. Removing a Government or Ruler This is the verb's primary and most direct meaning. ■ Revolution: 'The rebels successfully overthrew the corrupt monarchy.' ■ Coup: 'The military attempted to overthrow the elected government.' ■ History: 'The Roman Republic was eventually overthrown and replaced by the Roman Empire.' ℹ IMPORTANT: POLITICAL CONTEXT AND NOUN FORM ■ Connotation of Force: The verb almost always implies that the removal from power was done forcefully and against the will of the person or group being removed. It is not used for democratic processes like elections. ■ Noun Form: The noun 'an overthrow' refers to the act of overthrowing. Example: 'The plot for the overthrow of the dictator was discovered.'
| OVERTHROW - PRESENT SIMPLE | |
|---|---|
| ★ I | overthrow |
| ★ you | overthrow |
| ★ he/she/it | overthrows |
| ★ we | overthrow |
| ★ you (plural) | overthrow |
| ★ they | overthrow |
| Examples of the verb 'overthrow' in the Present Simple |
|---|
| - I watch movies where rebels try to overthrow the empire. |
| - You cannot just overthrow a government. |
| - The opposition party plots to overthrow the current leader. | History shows that the people can overthrow a tyrant. |
| - We study how revolutions overthrow old regimes. |
| - You (plural) plan to overthrow the board of directors. |
| - They conspire to overthrow the monarchy. |
| OVERTHROW - PRESENT CONTINUOUS | |
|---|---|
| ★ I am | overthrowing |
| ★ you are | overthrowing |
| ★ he/she/it is | overthrowing |
| ★ we are | overthrowing |
| ★ you are | overthrowing |
| ★ they are | overthrowing |
| Examples of the verb 'overthrow' in the Present Continuous |
|---|
| - I am watching a documentary about citizens overthrowing a dictator. |
| - You are watching the people overthrowing their corrupt government on the news. |
| - The resistance is overthrowing the occupying army. | The working class is overthrowing the elite. |
| - We are witnessing a historic moment as they are overthrowing the regime. |
| - You (plural) are seeing the rebellion overthrowing the government. |
| - They are overthrowing the old order. |
| OVERTHROW - PRESENT PERFECT | |
|---|---|
| ★ I have | overthrown |
| ★ you have | overthrown |
| ★ he/she/it has | overthrown |
| ★ we have | overthrown |
| ★ you have | overthrown |
| ★ they have | overthrown |
| Examples of the verb 'overthrow' in the Present Perfect |
|---|
| - I have seen this group overthrow its leader before. |
| - You have seen the people overthrow a king. |
| - The military has overthrown the democratically elected government. | The rebellion has overthrown the corrupt prince. |
| - We have studied the factors that led them to overthrow the regime. |
| - You (plural) have overthrown the old management. |
| - They have overthrown the dictator and are establishing a new republic. |
| OVERTHROW - PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS | |
|---|---|
| ★ I have been | overthrowing |
| ★ you have been | overthrowing |
| ★ he/she/it has been | overthrowing |
| ★ we have been | overthrowing |
| ★ you have been | overthrowing |
| ★ they have been | overthrowing |
| Examples of the verb 'overthrow' in the Present Perfect Continuous |
|---|
| - The revolutionary group has been overthrowing local authorities for months. |
| - The rebels have been overthrowing outposts across the country. |
| - The movement has been overthrowing the established norms. |
| - We have been watching the rebellion overthrowing the system. |
| - You (plural) have been overthrowing the old guard. |
| - They have been overthrowing the statues of the old leader. |
| OVERTHROW - PAST SIMPLE | |
|---|---|
| ★ I | overthrew |
| ★ you | overthrew |
| ★ he/she/it | overthrew |
| ★ we | overthrew |
| ★ you (plural) | overthrew |
| ★ they | overthrew |
| Examples of the verb 'overthrow' in the Past Simple |
|---|
| - I read about how the people overthrew the king. |
| - You saw the news when they overthrew the government. |
| - The citizens overthrew the monarchy during the revolution. | The army overthrew the president in a coup. |
| - We learned how the Romans overthrew the Etruscan kings. |
| - You (plural) overthrew the previous board chairman. |
| - They overthrew the ruling party in a landslide election. |
| OVERTHROW - PAST CONTINUOUS | |
|---|---|
| ★ I was | overthrowing |
| ★ you were | overthrowing |
| ★ he/she/it was | overthrowing |
| ★ we were | overthrowing |
| ★ you were | overthrowing |
| ★ they were | overthrowing |
| Examples of the verb 'overthrow' in the Past Continuous |
|---|
| - I was studying the period when the people were overthrowing their rulers. |
| - You were watching the live broadcast as the rebels were overthrowing the government. |
| - The army was overthrowing the president while he was out of the country. | The resistance was overthrowing the collaborationist government. |
| - We were reading reports that they were overthrowing the capital. |
| - You (plural) were overthrowing the old leadership. |
| - They were in the process of overthrowing the system. |
| OVERTHROW - PAST PERFECT | |
|---|---|
| ★ I had | overthrown |
| ★ you had | overthrown |
| ★ he/she/it had | overthrown |
| ★ we had | overthrown |
| ★ you had | overthrown |
| ★ they had | overthrown |
| Examples of the verb 'overthrow' in the Past Perfect |
|---|
| - I read that the people had overthrown the king before the foreign army arrived. |
| - You knew they had overthrown the government. |
| - The resistance had overthrown the occupying forces before the allies landed. | The military had overthrown the dictator. |
| - We arrived after the rebels had overthrown the guards. |
| - You (plural) had overthrown the CEO by the time of the meeting. |
| - They had overthrown the regime and established a provisional government. |
| OVERTHROW - PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS | |
|---|---|
| ★ I had been | overthrowing |
| ★ you had been | overthrowing |
| ★ he/she/it had been | overthrowing |
| ★ we had been | overthrowing |
| ★ you had been | overthrowing |
| ★ they had been | overthrowing |
| Examples of the verb 'overthrow' in the Past Perfect Continuous |
|---|
| - The rebels had been overthrowing the old system for years before they finally succeeded. |
| - The movement had been overthrowing colonial rule for a generation. |
| - The people had been overthrowing their local leaders one by one. |
| - We knew the resistance had been overthrowing enemy strongholds. |
| - You (plural) had been overthrowing the old traditions. |
| - They had been overthrowing the power structure for a long time. |
| OVERTHROW - FUTURE SIMPLE | |
|---|---|
| ★ I will | overthrow |
| ★ you will | overthrow |
| ★ he/she/it will | overthrow |
| ★ we will | overthrow |
| ★ you will | overthrow |
| ★ they will | overthrow |
| Examples of the verb 'overthrow' in the Future Simple |
|---|
| - I believe the people will overthrow the dictator one day. |
| - You think the shareholders will overthrow the CEO? |
| - They will try to overthrow the king. | The new technology will overthrow the old industry. |
| - We will overthrow the current champions. |
| - You (plural) will overthrow the corrupt council. |
| - The hackers will attempt to overthrow the network's security. |
| OVERTHROW - FUTURE CONTINUOUS | |
|---|---|
| ★ I will be | overthrowing |
| ★ you will be | overthrowing |
| ★ he/she/it will be | overthrowing |
| ★ we will be | overthrowing |
| ★ you will be | overthrowing |
| ★ they will be | overthrowing |
| Examples of the verb 'overthrow' in the Future Continuous |
|---|
| - I will be watching the news to see if they are overthrowing the government. |
| - You will be witnessing history if the people are overthrowing the regime. |
| - The opposition will be overthrowing the current leadership during the next parliamentary session. | The movement will be overthrowing the old ways of thinking. |
| - We will be overthrowing the competition. |
| - You (plural) will be overthrowing the corrupt officials. |
| - They will be overthrowing the system from within. |
| OVERTHROW - FUTURE PERFECT | |
|---|---|
| ★ I will have | overthrown |
| ★ you will have | overthrown |
| ★ he/she/it will have | overthrown |
| ★ we will have | overthrown |
| ★ you will have | overthrown |
| ★ they will have | overthrown |
| Examples of the verb 'overthrow' in the Future Perfect |
|---|
| - I predict that the people will have overthrown the regime by this time next year. |
| - You will see that the rebels have overthrown the government. |
| - They will have overthrown the government by the end of the year. | The revolution will have overthrown the monarchy. |
| - We believe we will have overthrown the market leader. |
| - You (plural) will have overthrown the board of directors. |
| - The movement will have overthrown the old power structure. |
| OVERTHROW - FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS | |
|---|---|
| ★ I will have been | overthrowing |
| ★ you will have been | overthrowing |
| ★ he/she/it will have been | overthrowing |
| ★ we will have been | overthrowing |
| ★ you will have been | overthrowing |
| ★ they will have been | overthrowing |
| Examples of the verb 'overthrow' in the Future Perfect Continuous |
|---|
| - By the end of the decade, the movement will have been overthrowing oppressive regimes for years. |
| - The technology will have been overthrowing traditional industries for a long time. |
| - The rebels will have been overthrowing the government for months. |
| - We will see that the people will have been overthrowing their leaders. |
| - You (plural) will have been overthrowing the old system. |
| - They will have been overthrowing the corrupt establishment. |