noun
steamroller
STEEM-rohl
noun
1
A heavy vehicle with large rollers used to flatten road surfaces.
"The steamroller flattened the fresh asphalt on the new road."
verb
1
To force something through or overpower opposition without regard for objections.
"The committee steamrollered the proposal through despite objections from residents."
How to Use Steamroller
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA machine that flattens roads, or figuratively, to push something through by sheer force.
Common pairings
steamroller an opponent
steamroller a proposal through
Word Forms
steamrollered past tense, steamrollers plural, steamrollers singular
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The _____ flattened the fresh asphalt on the new road.
Etymology
A compound of steam + roller, from the original steam-powered road-flattening machines.