overcharge

verb

over·​charge ˌō-vər-ˈchärj How to pronounce overcharge (audio)
overcharged; overcharging; overcharges

transitive verb

1
: to charge too much or too fully
2
: to fill too full
3

intransitive verb

: to make an excessive charge
overcharge noun

Examples of overcharge in a Sentence

He overcharges for car repairs. He overcharges his customers for car repairs. The store overcharged me for my skirt.
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.
In 2011, Boeing was found to have been grossly overcharging the Army for spare helicopter parts; a four-cent metal pin, for example, was billed at $71.01. Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 16 June 2025 Last year, as reported by Grocery Dive, Albertsons agreed to a $3.9 million settlement following a civil complaint that claimed the retailer unlawfully overcharged customers. Emma Marsden, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 June 2025 But lawmakers and drugmakers accuse them of overcharging plans, underpaying pharmacies and failing to pass savings on to patients. Annika Kim Constantino,ashley Capoot, CNBC, 22 May 2025 And the company is also overcharging developers for enabling the initial acquisition of a new customer. Emma Woollacott, Forbes, 20 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for overcharge

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of overcharge was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Overcharge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overcharge. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

overcharge

verb
over·​charge ˌō-vər-ˈchärj How to pronounce overcharge (audio)
1
: to charge too much
2
: to fill or load too full
a cannon overcharged with powder
overcharge noun

More from Merriam-Webster on overcharge

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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