overwrite

verb

over·​write ˌō-vər-ˈrīt How to pronounce overwrite (audio)
ˌō-və-
overwrote ˌō-vər-ˈrōt How to pronounce overwrite (audio)
ˌō-və-
; overwritten ˌō-vər-ˈri-tᵊn How to pronounce overwrite (audio)
ˌō-və-
; overwriting ˌō-vər-ˈrī-tiŋ How to pronounce overwrite (audio)
ˌō-və-

transitive verb

1
: to write over the surface of
2
: to write in inflated or overly elaborate style

intransitive verb

: to write too much or in an overly elaborate style

Examples of overwrite in a Sentence

The author has a tendency to overwrite.
Recent Examples on the Web The current standard only records two hours and then overwrites the recording. Marisa Garcia, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2024 Brickhouse said that even though this incident took place just minutes after takeoff, the cockpit voice recorder continued recording after the plane landed, and by the time investigators retrieved it, all of the audio from the incident had been overwritten. Zach Wichter, USA TODAY, 8 Jan. 2024 The two-hour limit means that the recorder may be quickly overwritten even on short flights, especially if there are any delays on the runway. Mark Walker, New York Times, 11 Jan. 2024 This bug could overwrite the settings for whatever printer the user actually did have installed and also prompted the installation of an HP Smart printer app from the Microsoft Store. Kevin Purdy, Ars Technica, 19 Dec. 2023 The book is so beautifully written, and elegant, but funny, and not overwritten at all. Chris Willman, Variety, 5 Dec. 2023 The joint hearing of the House Oversight and Administration committees on Wednesday will examine the American Confidence in Elections Act, which includes a title that would overwrite D.C.'s election laws, according to an Oversight committee spokeswoman. Meagan Flynn, Washington Post, 2 June 2023 But the Internet era overwrote these roles with another one: a cultural joke. Isaac Butler, The New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2023 Multiple versions of history accumulate and overwrite each other. Jennifer Ouellette and Sean M. Carroll, Ars Technica, 24 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'overwrite.' 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

1820, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of overwrite was in 1820

Dictionary Entries Near overwrite

Cite this Entry

“Overwrite.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overwrite. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

overwrite

verb
over·​write ˌō-və(r)-ˈrīt How to pronounce overwrite (audio)
overwrote -ˈrōt How to pronounce overwrite (audio) ; overwritten -ˈrit-ᵊn How to pronounce overwrite (audio) ; overwriting -ˈrīt-iŋ How to pronounce overwrite (audio)
1
: to write over the surface of : write on top of
2
: to write too much or in an overly elaborate style
overwritten accounts of everyday events

More from Merriam-Webster on overwrite

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