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 Be careful not to go overboard with this method, as the butter can become too soft quickly. Zoe Denenberg, Southern Living, 21 Sep. 2023 Seeing the flames racing toward them, the crew jumped overboard and, after an effort to reboard the Conception, used a dinghy to paddle to a neighboring boat for help. Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2023 The water-resistant case is also a brilliant boating companion: If your phone accidentally falls overboard, the case floats! Kristine Solomon, Travel + Leisure, 11 June 2023 The couple recently celebrated their son's first birthday, and Green joked ahead of the milestone that the pro dancer would likely go way overboard to spoil Zane on his special day. Erin Clack, Peoplemag, 13 Sep. 2023 Vessels could collide, and dredges could snag on each other and toss men overboard or capsize a vessel. Laura Trethewey, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Sep. 2023 Advertisement Perhaps the front office wouldn’t have felt compelled to toss six players overboard Tuesday, placing on waivers trade deadline acquisition Lucas Giolito, slugger Hunter Renfroe, relievers Reynaldo López, Dominic Leone and Matt Moore, and outfielder Randal Grichuk. Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2023 With the Mets an afterthought in the pennant race, both pitchers have been tossed overboard from the luxury cruise liner that is sinking in Flushing Bay. Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2023 The shark rammed Potter’s kayak twice, nearly knocking him overboard and into the action. Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 30 Aug. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'overboard.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Dictionary Entries Near overboard

Cite this Entry

“Overboard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overboard. Accessed 3 Oct. 2023.

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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