overextend

verb over·ex·tend \ ˌō-vər-ik-ˈstend \

Definition of overextend

transitive verb

:to extend or expand beyond a safe or reasonable point; especially :to commit (oneself) financially beyond what can be paid

—

overextension

play \ˌō-vər-ik-ˈsten(t)-shən\ noun

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Examples of overextend in a Sentence

He overextended a muscle in his arm.

Recent Examples of overextend from the Web

In general, prudent buyers still should be justifiably leery of overextending and setting themselves up for financial disaster.

— barbara and clair ramsey, Alaska Dispatch News, "Buying or selling a home? Here’s what Anchorage’s flat real estate market means for you," 21 July 2017
Consumers overall tend to be paying their bills on time more regularly, showing less interest in opening more lines of credit that could lead to overextending themselves and doing a better job of managing their finances, Dornhelm said.

— susan tompor, Detroit Free Press, "Consumers on a healthier credit footing but unsure on their scores," 1 July 2017
The U.N. is short of funds, overextended, and has never successfully stopped warfare on its own, as opposed to keeping a peace brokered by others.

— john taylor, Daily Intelligencer, "Lame-Duck Soup," 30 June 2017
Unlike some lenders that overextended themselves during Spain’s runaway property market in the early 2000s and were bailed out, Popular refused state aid in 2012 despite a stress test that showed a capital shortfall.

— edward robinson, Bloomberg.com, "Santander’s Botin Takes on Crippled Lender in Her Riskiest Bet," 8 June 2017
Instead of overextending themselves in a crowded retail landscape or jockeying for tap handles in bars, these small brewers are biding their time, telling their stories and selling their own beer directly to consumers.

— greg trotter, chicagotribune.com, "Taproom boom: Faced with slowing sales growth, craft brewers try out a new model," 6 June 2017
Vice Mayor Liz Kniss shared Keene’s concerns about overextending staff.

— jacqueline lee, The Mercury News, "Palo Alto delays talks of taxing businesses for transportation needs," 23 May 2017
The police force appears to be overextended and underfunded.

— chris korman, USA TODAY, "Why it's time to move Preakness from Pimlico," 22 May 2017
Compared with most other sports, the risk of injury in running is low, especially with proper stretching and training schedules designed not to overextend yourself.

— david g. allan, CNN, "At the 'Star Wars' half-marathon, may the course be with you," 19 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'overextend.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of overextend

1859

OVEREXTEND Defined for English Language Learners

overextend

verb

Definition of overextend for English Language Learners

: to extend or stretch (something) too far

Medical Dictionary

overextend

transitive verb over·ex·tend \ ˌō-və-rik-ˈstend \

medical Definition of overextend

:to extend too far

overextend the back

—

overextension

play \-ˈsten-chən\ noun

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overextend

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overextension

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OVEREXTEND Defined for English Language Learners

overextend

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overextend

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overextension

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overextend

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overextension

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OVEREXTEND Defined for English Language Learners

overextend

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