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

That timing could overlap with the evening commute, increasing the potential for traffic problems and dangerous travel. — Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2026

This offseason, the Jets inked Demario Davis and David Onyemata, both of whom overlapped with Glenn in New Orleans. — Jonathan Jones, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026

The defensive end and former Browns head coach overlapped in Cleveland for three seasons. — CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026

The rub, though, is that his existing sensibility overlapped so closely with Gunn’s that many viewers treated Kara Zor-El’s cosmic journey as an extension of the more familiar filmmaker/studio head. — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 19 Aug. 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