overdraw

verb

over·​draw ˌō-vər-ˈdrȯ How to pronounce overdraw (audio)
overdrew ˌō-vər-ˈdrü How to pronounce overdraw (audio) ; overdrawn ˌō-vər-ˈdrȯn How to pronounce overdraw (audio) ; overdrawing

transitive verb

1
: to draw checks on (a bank account) for more than the balance
the account was overdrawn
2

Examples of overdraw in a Sentence

She overdrew her account by $100. commentators have overdrawn the dangers of the sport in order to make it appear more exciting
Recent Examples on the Web Even with this year’s moves to recharge California aquifers, the state is still overdrawing from its underground water supply, particularly due to agricultural irrigation, with deeper and deeper wells diminishing limited underground water. Time, 24 Aug. 2023 One of his bank accounts is overdrawn by $320, and his other one has just 35 cents. Reis Thebault, Washington Post, 30 July 2023 Legislation passed in 2014 requires water districts to stop overdrawing their aquifers by the 2040s. Raymond Zhong, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2023 With overdraft transfers, a transaction that overdraws your checking account will trigger a transfer from your savings account to your checking account to cover the transaction. Ken Tumin, CBS News, 25 July 2023 Farmers overdraw the aquifer by about 820,000 acre-feet per year, and the region has long experienced drought. Margaret Osborne, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 July 2023 Incidentally, the only fund overdrawn as of December 31, 2021 was that of the Park Bond, in the amount of $302. Jim Masters, Chicago Tribune, 30 June 2023 Year after year California borrowed heavily from its future, pulling from its groundwater as if overdrawing from a bank account, which caused new problems. Brooke Jarvis, New York Times, 31 May 2023 Track your bank balance and you will never be overdrawn or surprised. WSJ, 17 Feb. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'overdraw.' 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

1710, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of overdraw was in 1710

Dictionary Entries Near overdraw

Cite this Entry

“Overdraw.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overdraw. Accessed 29 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

overdraw

verb
over·​draw ˌō-vər-ˈdrȯ How to pronounce overdraw (audio)
overdrew -ˈdrü How to pronounce overdraw (audio) ; overdrawn -ˈdrȯn How to pronounce overdraw (audio) ; overdrawing
1
: to draw checks on (a bank account) for more than the balance in it
2

Legal Definition

overdraw

verb
over·​draw ˌō-vər-ˈdrȯ How to pronounce overdraw (audio)
overdrew -ˈdrü How to pronounce overdraw (audio) ; overdrawn -ˈdrȯn How to pronounce overdraw (audio) ; overdrawing

transitive verb

: to draw checks on (a bank account) for more than the balance

intransitive verb

: to make an overdraft

More from Merriam-Webster on overdraw

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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