steamroll
verb

- to overwhelm or suppress ruthlessly; crush

- to smooth or level (a road) with a steamroller

intransitive verb

- to move or proceed with overwhelming or crushing force

American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language

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WORD ORIGIN

The verb steamroll stems from the noun "steamroller" which is:

- a steam-driven machine equipped with a heavy roller for smoothing road surfaces
- a similar machine with an internal-combustion engine

Steamroller is also used in the figurative sense to mean "a ruthless or irresistible force or power." It can be used in this sense when describing sport competitions, verbal arguments, military operations, and even personal relations (he was steamrolled by her beauty and charm).

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Practice OWAD in a conversation:

"They STEAMROLLED the proposal through the committee and got approval to go ahead with the project."