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

Dramatic video shows a brand-new luxury yacht sinking just minutes after it was launched off the coast of Turkey, forcing its crew to leap overboard. —Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2025

As history demonstrates, peace deals can be thrown overboard when an aggressor senses an opportunity to gain advantage. —Daniel R. Depetris, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025

And so as people are dying, they're being thrown overboard. —Outside Online, 27 Aug. 2025

Overstated Honesty The media reaction to the rise in AI honesty has gone a bit overboard. —Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 24 Aug. 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