overboard

adverb

over·​board ˈō-vər-ˌbȯrd How to pronounce overboard (audio)
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
This includes the opportunity to create new rituals, reinforce existing ones, or throw old ones overboard. Hannah Madlener, Glamour, 12 Dec. 2025 The men were subjected to various abuses by their captors, such as theft and beatings, and many personal effects were tossed overboard. Literary Hub, 9 Dec. 2025 The delay followed reports from His Majesty’s Coastguard that several shipping containers fell overboard from the Baltic Klipper cargo ship near the Nab Tower in the Solent — a major shipping lane for vessels passing between the Isle of Wight and mainland Great Britain. Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 8 Dec. 2025 Democrats insisted the survivors were helpless and should have been rescued to comply with international laws that call for either sides in a conflict to help combatants who fall overboard or are shipwrecked. Anne Flaherty, ABC News, 8 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for overboard

Word History

First Known Use

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of overboard was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Overboard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overboard. Accessed 14 Dec. 2025.

Kids Definition

overboard

adverb
over·​board ˈō-vər-ˌbō(ə)rd How to pronounce overboard (audio)
-ˌbȯ(ə)rd
1
: over the side of a ship into the water
2
: to extremes of enthusiasm
go overboard for a new fad

More from Merriam-Webster on overboard

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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