over·bur·den
ˌō-vər-ˈbər-dᵊn 
overburdened; overburdening; overburdens
: to place an excessive burden on
over·bur·den
ˈō-vər-ˌbər-dᵊn
: material overlying a deposit of useful geologic materials or bedrock
Examples of overburden in a Sentence
Verb
She overburdened me with work.
Why overburden yourself when people are offering to help?
Recent Examples on the Web
Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 21 Apr. 2026
There are moments when the book, in defending Giacometti, seems to overburden his oeuvre with an exponential set of aesthetic, intellectual, and political problems, from resolving the tensions between modernism and the avant-garde to a singular working through of national trauma.
—Ara H. Merjian, ARTnews.com, 16 Apr. 2026
Jazmine Denise Thompson, Essence, 22 Jan. 2025
The demand-resource mismatches of burnout, the operational drivers, are substantial and must be addressed: clumsy electronic medical records, understaffing, and administrative overburden, among others.
—Wendy Dean, STAT, 7 June 2023
See All Example Sentences for overburden
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Verb
But those customs brokers are overburdened now with such requests, and many have told their clients to create their own accounts and pursue the refunds themselves.
—Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 21 Apr. 2026
There are moments when the book, in defending Giacometti, seems to overburden his oeuvre with an exponential set of aesthetic, intellectual, and political problems, from resolving the tensions between modernism and the avant-garde to a singular working through of national trauma.
—Ara H. Merjian, ARTnews.com, 16 Apr. 2026
Noun
However, managing stress during those peak moments of overburden is not always intuitive.
—Jazmine Denise Thompson, Essence, 22 Jan. 2025
The demand-resource mismatches of burnout, the operational drivers, are substantial and must be addressed: clumsy electronic medical records, understaffing, and administrative overburden, among others.
—Wendy Dean, STAT, 7 June 2023
See All Example Sentences for overburden
Cite this Entry
“Overburden.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overburden. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
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