overlap

verb

over·​lap ˌō-vər-ˈlap How to pronounce overlap (audio)
overlapped; overlapping; overlaps

transitive verb

1
: to extend over or past and cover a part of
The roof shingles overlap each other.
2
: to have something in common with
Baseball season overlaps the football season in September.

intransitive verb

1
: to occupy the same area in part
The two towns overlap.
2
: to have something in common
Some of their duties overlap.
overlap noun

Examples of overlap in a Sentence

The roof shingles overlap each other. Baseball season overlaps football season in September. Some of your duties overlap his.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
And their publication overlapped closely with a talking point pressed by Netanyahu at the time – that Israel needed to hold the Philadelphi corridor to secure a deal. Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA TODAY, 5 Nov. 2024 Or, in an abundance of caution, the IT team uses overlapping database queries to provide invoices to the sustainability team. Martha Amram, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024 Brutal Companion, the new book of poems from Ruben Quesada, lives in the space where fear and desire overlap, sharply examining the role that both have played in his life. James Factora, Them, 1 Nov. 2024 Technology The Big Story Where Harris and Trump stand on tech Former President Trump and Vice President Harris may offer starkly different views for the future of the country, but the two have occasionally overlapped on tech policy. Julia Shapero, The Hill, 31 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for overlap 

Word History

First Known Use

1704, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of overlap was in 1704

Dictionary Entries Near overlap

Cite this Entry

“Overlap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overlap. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

overlap

verb
over·​lap ˌō-vər-ˈlap How to pronounce overlap (audio)
1
: to lay or lie over (something) so as to partly cover
that piece overlaps the edge
2
: to have something in common
political and social interests that often overlap
3
: to occupy the same area in part
the photos overlap
overlap noun

More from Merriam-Webster on overlap

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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