overthink
verb
over·think
ˌō-vər-ˈthiŋk 
overthought
ˌō-vər-ˈthȯt
; overthinking
; overthinking
: to think too much about (something) : to put too much time into thinking about or analyzing (something) in a way that is more harmful than helpful
overthink a situation/problem
someone who overthinks and worries too much
"I was a terrible actor when I went to New York. I was scared. I would overprepare, sometimes overthink a role."—
Paul Newman
Paul NewmanFor a while now, I've been finding current fiction hard to read: airlessly competent, relentlessly put-together, overthought.—David Gates
David Gates
overthinker
noun
plural overthinkers
But the problem is I'm an overthinker. I contemplate and consider, deliberate and debate things small and large in my life. Simple things become complicated and easy decisions become complex.
—Alyssa Meier
Alyssa Meier
Examples of overthink in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
When the three judge panel hearing the case – including judges appointed by Presidents Obama, Trump and Reagan – pushed for a legal standard on which to issue their future ruling, Schwab said the unlawfulness of the tariffs is so obvious that the judges shouldn't overthink it.
—Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 13 May 2025
The 16-track set, which took two years to bring to life, is a reflection of her deepest thoughts and her tendency to overthink.
—Sigal Ratner-Arias, Billboard, 9 May 2025
That's exactly what happened here, and the team didn't overthink it.
—Mohammed Soliman, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Apr. 2025
Vrabel doesn’t overthink it and picks the top offensive tackle with leadership traits and plugs him into his offensive front for the next decade.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 19 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overthink
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Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 13 May 2025
The 16-track set, which took two years to bring to life, is a reflection of her deepest thoughts and her tendency to overthink.
—Sigal Ratner-Arias, Billboard, 9 May 2025
That's exactly what happened here, and the team didn't overthink it.
—Mohammed Soliman, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Apr. 2025
Vrabel doesn’t overthink it and picks the top offensive tackle with leadership traits and plugs him into his offensive front for the next decade.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 19 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overthink
Cite this Entry
“Overthink.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overthink. Accessed 26 May. 2025.
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