overfly
verb
over·fly
ˌō-vər-ˈflī 
overflew
ˌō-vər-ˈflü
; overflown
ˌō-vər-ˈflōn
; overflying
; overflown
ˌō-vər-ˈflōn
; overflying
: to fly over
especially
: to pass over in an aircraft or spacecraft
Examples of overfly in a Sentence
The jets overflew the stadium.
Recent Examples on the Web
Freed from all the entanglements that come with having to launch a ground invasion, air war can overfly not just morality and law but arguments, rationales, the calibration of risks to rewards and of suffering to satisfaction.
—
Fintan O’Toole, The New York Review of Books, 9 Apr. 2026
In a peculiar incident in early March, Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana was subject to a shelter-in-place order because the facility—which houses B-52 bombers, a major element of the U.S. nuclear arsenal—was being overflown by unauthorized drones.
—Phillips Payson O’Brien, The Atlantic, 6 Apr. 2026
Rubio complained bitterly that NATO ally Spain had barred U.S. planes involved in the war against Iran from overflying its airspace.
—Lucia I Suarez Sang, CBS News, 31 Mar. 2026
While the Ukraine-Russia conflict continues, for example, U.S. airlines likely won’t be able to overfly Russian airspace.
—Zach Wichter, USA Today, 4 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for overfly
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.
Fintan O’Toole, The New York Review of Books, 9 Apr. 2026
In a peculiar incident in early March, Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana was subject to a shelter-in-place order because the facility—which houses B-52 bombers, a major element of the U.S. nuclear arsenal—was being overflown by unauthorized drones.
—Phillips Payson O’Brien, The Atlantic, 6 Apr. 2026
Rubio complained bitterly that NATO ally Spain had barred U.S. planes involved in the war against Iran from overflying its airspace.
—Lucia I Suarez Sang, CBS News, 31 Mar. 2026
While the Ukraine-Russia conflict continues, for example, U.S. airlines likely won’t be able to overfly Russian airspace.
—Zach Wichter, USA Today, 4 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for overfly
Cite this Entry
“Overfly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overfly. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
overfly
verb
over·fly
ˌō-vər-ˈflī
: to fly over
especially
: to pass over in an aircraft or spacecraft
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
