overharvest
verb
over·har·vest
ˌō-vər-ˈhär-vəst 
overharvested; overharvesting
: to harvest (something) excessively and especially to a harmful degree
overharvesting oysters to the point of depletion
It would therefore be in the common interest of all consumers to exercise restraint and not overharvest.—
Jared Diamond
Jared DiamondExamples of overharvest in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Additionally, the dolphins are threatened by pollution, and commercial fishing operations overharvest the mullet.
—Margaret Osborne, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Feb. 2023
Don’t overharvest or deplete.
—Kristina Rizga, The Atlantic, 9 Sep. 2020
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Margaret Osborne, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Feb. 2023
Don’t overharvest or deplete.
—Kristina Rizga, The Atlantic, 9 Sep. 2020
Cite this Entry
“Overharvest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overharvest. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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