as in to stereotype
to use so much as to make less appealing she had overused that joke to the point where it was eliciting groans and not guffaws

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 overuse This can happen if the arthritis is in your left hip or if the root cause is on your right side, but your body is compensating by overusing muscles on the left side of your back. Kelly Burch, Verywell Health, 15 Jan. 2025 Criticism of Hochul flying private comes after Republicans attacked her for overusing the state’s aircraft in 2022. Ross O'Keefe, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 4 Jan. 2025 There are ways to stagger Bridges, Anunoby and Hart so that no one feels, in your words, overused. James L. Edwards Iii, The Athletic, 27 Dec. 2024 Using heat-protection sprays and blow-dry-specific products can also help minimize damage, though Sahin warned against overusing styling products. Michael Gfoeller and David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 15 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for overuse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overuse
Verb
  • Employers assume late-career professionals are more expensive due to the additional experience, and some may stereotype them as less adaptable.
    Caroline Ceniza-Levine, Forbes.com, 30 Mar. 2025
  • The luxury goods that millennials and Gen Z-ers want Older generations often stereotype Millennials and Gen Z-ers as addicted to screens and bad in the workplace.
    Francisco Velasquez, Quartz, 13 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Holland replaces Jason Pinnock, who was a solid player but was overexposed as a starter.
    Dan Duggan, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025
  • But if it is allowed to fade into irrelevance, or overexposed to the point of consumer indifference, the steep costs may not be worth it.
    Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • The vertical scrolling format popularized by companies like Webtoon is inherently mobile-friendly and aligns with changing consumption habits among younger demographics who increasingly consume content on smartphones.
    Damion Taylor, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025
  • That 2010s optimism continued past the 2016 election, when Hollywood’s A-list coalesced around preventing Trump from taking office, appeared at protests, and, most famously, popularized the Me Too movement.
    Rebecca Jennings, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • His versions were full-blooded, with lush strings and reasonably large orchestras — and, purists alleged — vulgarizing distortions.
    BostonGlobe.com, BostonGlobe.com, 28 Oct. 2019
  • Ever since his rise to power, Trump has served as a vulgarizing agent.
    Leon Neyfakh, Slate Magazine, 2 June 2017
Verb
  • The game lasts about two minutes in total before the AI calls it a day, exhausted from generating the worst gaming experience possible.
    Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 6 Apr. 2025
  • His aunt is exhausted, unsteady on her feet, her eyes red.
    David Bezmozgis, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • So why is overdoing alcohol consumption particularly harmful to bones?
    Holly Carter, People.com, 1 Apr. 2025
  • It’s never recommended to take mega doses of any supplement or overdo it with specific spices that aren’t necessarily associated with physical effects—and that goes for turmeric and ginger.
    Jamie Johnson, Verywell Health, 28 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Now, at 35 years old, those days of recognition are in the review mirror for Meri, an enthroned diva who can’t let go of the past and is bored by her mundane present.
    Emiliano De Pablos, Variety, 25 Mar. 2025
  • Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck are officially single, weeks after settling divorce Reiterating that there was no huge, singular issue to blame for their split, Affleck argued that the details behind their breakup would probably bore most people.
    Shania Russell, EW.com, 25 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Overuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overuse. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.

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