overlap 1 of 2

noun

Definition of overlapnext
as in lapping
a partial covering of one thing by an adjoining member the orthodontist will try to fix that overlap of two of your upper incisors

Synonyms & Similar Words

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overlap

2 of 2

verb

ˌō-vər-ˈlap How to pronounce overlap (audio)
as in to overlie
to lie over parts of one another the brochures on the display table should overlap but not so much that the titles are obscured

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of overlap
Verb
In its bid for emergency relief from the Supreme Court, the Trump administration warned that the two orders from courts in Maryland and Massachusetts potentially overlap. — Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2025 Campbell was previously an Oregon assistant and overlapped some of Prince’s time there. — Stephen Hawkins, Denver Post, 26 Mar. 2025 The still image above helps to capture several of the issues at hand for City’s wide players in recent weeks, from a lack of overlapping runs by makeshift or inverted full-backs to the sheer number of bodies opposing teams are routinely able to drop back into defensive positions. — Thom Harris, The Athletic, 25 Mar. 2025 While politics and sports don't always overlap, for the superstitious, there's a curious pattern: Trump taunts allies, and U.S. teams keep losing to them. — Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 24 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for overlap
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overlap
  1. overlie
  2. lap
  3. overlay
Verb
  • The rock slab located at the high school was also originally from the Callide Mine, which is an open-cut mine, meaning that the overlying rock is removed to get to the coal underneath, Romilio explained.
    — Taylor Nicioli, CNN, 21 Mar. 2025
  • Land in San Rafael, Corte Madera, Foster City and Bay Farm Island in the San Francisco Bay Area was found to be subsiding at more than 0.4 inches per year, primarily due to sediment compaction—when loose particles are pressed together under the weight of overlying layers.
    — Mark Joseph, Newsweek, 24 Feb. 2025
Definition of overlie
Verb
  • The meme buyers will lap this up, but who really cares?
    — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 26 Mar. 2025
  • The athletic department has been lapped in the Name-Image-Likeness game.
    — Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 24 Mar. 2025
Definition of lap
Verb
  • Color filters overlay the instrument's detector array to separate light entering the telescope into its component wavelengths, a process known as spectroscopy.
    — Ars Technica, Ars Technica, 13 Mar. 2025
  • Garments that didn’t rely on magnificent silhouettes were instead detailed in ornate beading, lined with feathers or overlaid with layers of lace.
    — Elizabeth Grace Coyne, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025
Definition of overlay

Browse Nearby Words

overlain
overlap
overlapped
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Overlap.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overlap. Accessed 9 Apr. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on overlap

Nglish: Translation of overlap for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about overlap

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