the principal overstepped her authority in ordering everyone to remain in the unheated school
Recent Examples on the WebRight-wing politicians, including Bolsonaro, have accused de Moraes of overstepping his authority and abusing his power, though many of de Moraes’ defenders argue that the judge’s approach is sound, given the fragility of democracy in the country.—Chad De Guzman, TIME, 8 Apr. 2024 While park authorities insist the closure is necessary to ensure public health and safety, the decision has sparked outrage among devotees of the hot springs, who have accused the federal government of overstepping its authority and failing to include them in the decision.—Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2024 Applicants have filed lawsuits accusing the agency of overstepping its authority, giving conflicting guidance and discriminating against white men in its push for diversity.—Ashley Southall, New York Times, 17 Mar. 2024 Consumer advocates praised the measure as providing welcome relief for millions of credit card users, but business interests accused regulators of overstepping their authority and promised legal action to prevent the rule from going into effect.—Scott Horsley, NPR, 5 Mar. 2024 Outside influences will tempt you to overstep your means, expand too quickly or take on too much.—Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 9 Feb. 2024 That order was blocked by two federal courts, however, which held that the administration had overstepped its authority.—Jon Healey, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2024 The complaint from the Republican leaders of the Arizona Legislature argues Fontes overstepped his authority and used the manual to create policy, rather than interpret it.—Mary Jo Pitzl, The Arizona Republic, 8 Mar. 2024 There is a strong legal argument to be made that the SEC would be overstepping their legal authority by enacting mandatory Scope 1 and Scope 2 reporting.—Jon McGowan, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'overstep.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of overstep was
before the 12th century
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