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

The study confirmed direct dumping by boats, with evidence of bags full of rubbish thrown overboard. —Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 10 Mar. 2026

Researchers found evidence of bags full of rubbish being thrown overboard, identifiable by pile-up patterns on the seabed. —Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 10 Mar. 2026

Boylan was the first to abandon ship and jump overboard. —City News Service, Daily News, 4 Mar. 2026

Meadows, who was known for his time on the Discovery Channel series about high-stakes crab fishing, died last month after falling overboard during production on the show's 22nd season. —Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Mar. 2026

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