From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishsteamrollersteam‧roll‧er1 /ˈstiːmˌrəʊlə $ -ˌroʊlər/ noun [countable] 1 TTCa heavy vehicle with very wide wheels that is driven over road surfaces to make them flat2 someone who uses their power and influence to make sure that something happens the way they want it to
Examples from the Corpus
steamroller• Rayleen didn't find anything else broken, though she seemed convinced I'd been run over by a steamroller.• Square on his feet, Jos looked as though he could hold off a steamroller.• Marc made her feel as if she'd just had a battle with a steamroller - but she was mildly pleased with herself.• Ann Day, R-Tucson, the legislative steamroller behind a move to regulate HMOs.• The steamroller had hit a bump, but for the time being it was back on course.• During the 1950s, Pfeffer was a veritable steamroller, filing suits or joining them throughout the country.steamrollersteamroller2 verb [transitive] informalFORCE somebody TO DO something to make sure something happens by using all your power and influence, or to defeat your opponents badly He steamrollered the bill through Parliament against fierce opposition.→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
steamroller• Why did she get the distinct impression that she had just been steamrollered?• It was clear that he had been angered by attempts to steamroller him.From Longman Business Dictionarysteamrollersteam‧roll‧er /ˈstiːmˌrəʊlə-ˌroʊlər/ (also steamroll American English) verb [transitive] informal to force someone to do what you want them to do, or to make sure something happens by using all your power and influenceHe steamrollered the bill through parliament despite fierce opposition.Even healthy companies can get steamrolled by an acquiring company.→ See Verb table 