overfly

verb

over·​fly ˌō-vər-ˈflī 

overflew ˌō-vər-ˈflü  ; overflown ˌō-vər-ˈflōn  ; overflying

transitive verb

: to fly over

especially : to pass over in an aircraft or spacecraft

Examples of overfly in a Sentence

The jets overflew the stadium.

Recent Examples on the Web

Smoke rose from different parts of the city, which was being overflown by police helicopters, according to AFP journalists. — CBS News, 9 June 2026

The first attempt ended in a go-around; the second resulted in the aircraft overflying the runway. — Francie Ebert, NBC news, 16 May 2026

Freed from all the entanglements that come with having to launch a ground invasion, air war can overfly not just morality and law but arguments, rationales, the calibration of risks to rewards and of suffering to satisfaction. — Fintan O’Toole, The New York Review of Books, 9 Apr. 2026

If the situation escalates further, India could seek access from China to use its airspace from the north, allowing aircraft to overfly the Commonwealth of Independent States into Europe, Martin said. — Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 2 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for overfly

• abscissae
• adonai
• alibi
• alkali
• alumni
• amoebae
• amplify
• annuli
• beautify
• brachii
• butterfly
• calculi

Kids Definition

overfly

verb

over·​fly ˌō-vər-ˈflī 

overflew -ˈflü  ; overflown -ˈflōn  ; overflying

: to fly over

especially : to pass over in an aircraft or spacecraft