overboard

adverb

over·​board ˈō-vər-ˌbȯrd 

1

: over the side of a ship or boat into the water

2

: to extremes of enthusiasm

3

: into discard : aside

Examples of overboard in a Sentence

He threw the fish overboard.

The boy fell overboard and almost drowned.

One of the sailors fell into the water, and someone shouted “Man overboard!”.

Recent Examples on the Web

There are other cask finishes to try as well, and many are quite good (although some of the wine barrel expressions go a bit overboard for my taste). —Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 18 May 2025

The 2nd mate dumped the secret documents overboard. —Heather Farmbrough, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025

The three men were thrown overboard and drowned, the law enforcement agency said. —Hank Sanders, New York Times, 17 Apr. 2025

Shortly after the incident, The Hollywood Reporter reported that security footage appeared to show Burch jumping overboard, with Nassau police clearing Downe of any wrongdoing. —Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 3 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing overboard

• go overboard
• wash overboard

Rhymes for overboard

• checkerboard
• clavichord
• fiberboard
• fibreboard
• fingerboard
• harpsichord
• motherboard
• notochord
• overlord
• paperboard
• plasterboard
• shuffleboard

Kids Definition

overboard

adverb

over·​board ˈō-vər-ˌbō(ə)rd 

-ˌbȯ(ə)rd

1

: over the side of a ship into the water

2

: to extremes of enthusiasm

go overboard for a new fad