overlap

verb

over·​lap ˌō-vər-ˈlap 

overlapped; overlapping; overlaps

transitive verb

1

: to extend over or past and cover a part of

The roof shingles overlap each other.

2

: to have something in common with

Baseball season overlaps the football season in September.

intransitive verb

1

: to occupy the same area in part

The two towns overlap.

2

: to have something in common

Some of their duties overlap.

overlap

ˈō-vər-ˌlap 

noun

Synonyms of overlap

• overlie
• lap
• overlay

Examples of overlap in a Sentence

The roof shingles overlap each other.

Baseball season overlaps football season in September.

Some of your duties overlap his.

Recent Examples on the Web

Consistent, overlapping coverage across many smaller creators is what keeps a sales window from going quiet in the middle. — Agung Dwi Sandi, Forbes.com, 25 Sep. 2026

The situation is a little different as Bloys and Cheeks are considered peers with their areas not expected to overlap if both stay on at Paramount, making their premiere date two potential co-workers hanging together. — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 23 Sep. 2026

Instead, their segment identity directs these signals into overlapping sets of responses that differ in the different areas of the brain. — John Timmer, ArsTechnica, 23 Sep. 2026

They’re stacked up in superposition, like overlapping waves of water or sound. — Elise Cutts, Quanta Magazine, 23 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1704, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for overlap

• handicap
• thunderclap
• wiretap
• app
• cap
• chap
• clap
• crap
• flap
• frap
• gap
• hap

Kids Definition

overlap

verb

over·​lap ˌō-vər-ˈlap 

1

: to lay or lie over (something) so as to partly cover

that piece overlaps the edge

2

: to have something in common

political and social interests that often overlap

3

: to occupy the same area in part

the photos overlap

overlap

ˈō-vər-ˌlap 

noun