over the top
1 of 2phrase
: beyond the bounds of what is expected, usual, normal, or appropriate
: extremely or excessively flamboyant or outrageous
an over-the-top performance
Examples of over the top in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 13 Apr. 2026
Quentin Tarantino’s outrageous revisionist Western is wildly over-the-top, combining the director’s penchant for gratuitous violence and sparkling dialogue with a story that’s pleasingly labyrinthine but nothing if not schlocky.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Apr. 2026
This was an era of over-the-top displays of patriotism and even jingoism; the phrase Let’s make America great again was in.
—Jonathan Lemire, The Atlantic, 9 Apr. 2026
One of the country’s largest teachers’ unions, the United Teachers Los Angeles, is threatening to strike next week if its latest over-the-top salary and staffing demands aren’t met.
—Aaron Garth Smith, Oc Register, 7 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for over the top
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Adjective
Nowhere is that clearer than in the over-the-top set by Gabriel Hainer Evansohn, Grace Laubacher and Iron Bloom Creative Production, which now leans into the idea of a Céline arena concert.
—Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 13 Apr. 2026
Quentin Tarantino’s outrageous revisionist Western is wildly over-the-top, combining the director’s penchant for gratuitous violence and sparkling dialogue with a story that’s pleasingly labyrinthine but nothing if not schlocky.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Apr. 2026
This was an era of over-the-top displays of patriotism and even jingoism; the phrase Let’s make America great again was in.
—Jonathan Lemire, The Atlantic, 9 Apr. 2026
One of the country’s largest teachers’ unions, the United Teachers Los Angeles, is threatening to strike next week if its latest over-the-top salary and staffing demands aren’t met.
—Aaron Garth Smith, Oc Register, 7 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for over the top
Cite this Entry
“Over the top.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/over%20the%20top. Accessed 16 Apr. 2026.
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