as in too
beyond a normal or acceptable limit
there's no need to be overly careful about the rough draft, since we'll polish it afterwards
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of overly
Subtle, artful, and not overly formal, Wolfsbane exemplifies what makes San Francisco one of America’s premier fine-dining destinations.
—
Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 16 June 2026
In the 1960s and 70s, feminist historians viewed these transformations instead as the loss of female authority at the hands of unsafe, overly interventionist male practitioners; female midwives were not permitted to use instruments.
—Literary Hub, 16 June 2026
Not dead, but not overly busy, either.
—Kansas City Star, 16 June 2026
Hasslers might also be overly critical, or exclude others from social activities.
—Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 15 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for overly
Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 16 June 2026
In the 1960s and 70s, feminist historians viewed these transformations instead as the loss of female authority at the hands of unsafe, overly interventionist male practitioners; female midwives were not permitted to use instruments.
—Literary Hub, 16 June 2026
Not dead, but not overly busy, either.
—Kansas City Star, 16 June 2026
Hasslers might also be overly critical, or exclude others from social activities.
—Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 15 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for overly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overly
Adverb
-
Pakistan, which has played a mediation role in US-Iran talks, endorsed the agreement, too, according to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.—
Pamela Avila,
CNN Money,
18 June 2026
-
It is supposed to be a great beach party with a bonfire, but it gets rained out, and they are all huddled under an awning wearing too much body glitter and eating from a greige buffet.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
18 June 2026
Adverb
-
Doing glute exercises excessively and especially improperly can lead to injury.—
Bruce Y. Lee,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
-
The renter’s credit is part of a larger but stalled push to rebalance Connecticut’s upside-down tax system, one the state’s own analysts conclude excessively burdens the poor and middle class.—
Keith M. Phaneuf,
Hartford Courant,
15 June 2026
Adverb
-
Our task, in the year of the United States’ two-hundred-and-fiftieth birthday, is to deprovincialize the Revolution, without unduly deprecating its originality.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
8 June 2026
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The local officials argued that the state law unduly limits law enforcement officers’ discretion when crime victims apply for what is known as a U visa, a visa set aside for non-citizen victims of crime who cooperate with law enforcement and meet other conditions.—
Shelly Bradbury,
Denver Post,
3 June 2026
Adverb
-
Canada and Qatar drew their first matches, making this an extremely important opportunity for their hopes of advancing out of the group stage.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
19 June 2026
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All had extremely low omega-3 levels and at least one risk factor for dementia, such as obesity, sedentary lifestyle, high blood pressure or cholesterol.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
18 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overly. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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