overlap

verb

over·​lap ˌō-vər-ˈlap How to pronounce overlap (audio)
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 noun

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
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.
This overlapping setup allowed Sam to reduce the frame size dramatically without sacrificing stability. Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 14 Oct. 2025 Historically, most of the DOC NYC shortlist titles overlap with the Academy’s official 15-film Oscar shortlist. Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 14 Oct. 2025 The overlapping filings show that Amanda was positioned as a potential witness for both sides in the weeks before Kohberger’s plea. Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2025 Ironically, Nvidia also unveiled a similar collaboration with OpenAI back in September — prompting some analysts to question whether these overlapping deals are creating circular revenue streams that could eventually come under scrutiny. Benzinga, Freep.com, 11 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for overlap

Word History

First Known Use

1704, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of overlap was in 1704

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Overlap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overlap. Accessed 16 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

overlap

verb
over·​lap ˌō-vər-ˈlap How to pronounce overlap (audio)
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 noun

More from Merriam-Webster on overlap

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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