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

While some routes may include overlapping stops, no traveler will receive the same itinerary as someone else on the road at the same time. —Rebecca Ann Hughes, Forbes.com, 20 June 2026

Sporty sneakers are one category where my mom and I regularly overlap, and this sporty pair from Vepose would absolutely cause a borrowing dispute. —Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 19 June 2026

In addition, Sweeney’s time with the Bucks overlapped for three years with John Hammond’s tenure as Milwaukee’s general manager when the franchise drafted Antetokounmpo with the 15th pick in 2013. —Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 June 2026

The results reveal that oxygen transfer is not a single continuous process but a succession of overlapping physical and chemical events. —Sam MacDonald, Scientific American, 19 June 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