interlope

verb

in·​ter·​lope ˌin-tər-ˈlōp How to pronounce interlope (audio)
ˈin-tər-ˌlōp
interloped; interloping

intransitive verb

1
: to encroach on the rights (as in trade) of others
2

Examples of interlope in a Sentence

regarded the new couple as a pair of interloping parvenus who were sure to upset the town's social hierarchy
Recent Examples on the Web Bloom has been cast by some diehard Sox fans as an interloping budget-cutter who imperiled the franchise by letting cornerstones Mookie Betts and Xander Bogaerts get away. Bob Hohler, BostonGlobe.com, 31 May 2023 BlackBerry suggests that spirit was killed by an influx of big business thinking, taking the form here of Canada's hulking, reigning master of intimidation, Michael Ironside, cast as the interloping COO. A.a. Dowd, Chron, 12 May 2023 Iworrigan had been off Facebook but reactivated her account to try to verify whether or not the interloping hound might be Nanuq. Zachariah Hughes, Anchorage Daily News, 12 Apr. 2023 Corinne always unrolls her mat in the back corner, tries not to interlope. Rebecca Makkai, Harper's Magazine, 17 Aug. 2021 Even my mother, an expert in detecting interloping odors, couldn’t catch anything. Luke Winkie, Vox, 5 Aug. 2019 And so Beyonce wanting to be in that just seemed like interloping. Joy-Ann Reid, Cosmopolitan, 13 Feb. 2018 Europeans are taught a history of migration from birth, of Greeks and Romans spreading over Europe, conquering lands, and interloping afar. Adam Rutherford, The Atlantic, 3 Oct. 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'interlope.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

probably back-formation from interloper, from inter- + -loper (akin to Middle Dutch lopen to run, Old English hlēapan to leap) — more at leap

First Known Use

1615, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of interlope was in 1615

Dictionary Entries Near interlope

Cite this Entry

“Interlope.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/interlope. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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