overlie
verb
over·lie
ˌō-vər-ˈlī 
overlay
ˌō-vər-ˈlā
; overlain
ˌō-vər-ˈlān
; overlying
ˌō-vər-ˈlī-iŋ
; overlain
ˌō-vər-ˈlān
; overlying
ˌō-vər-ˈlī-iŋ
Examples of overlie in a Sentence
the puzzle pieces overlay one another in complete disarray on the floor
there will be freezing rain tonight, so we can expect to find a thick layer of ice overlying the car windshield in the morning
Recent Examples on the Web
Trumbo, Villanueva and their colleagues especially wanted to understand whether Europa’s surface CO2 deposits come from reservoirs of the compound dissolved in the dark waters of the subsurface ocean, which is sandwiched between overlying ice and the moon’s rocky center.
—
Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 21 Sep. 2023
That’s a very specific cause of cardiac arrest that occurs when there is blunt force trauma to the heart, or the chest wall that overlies the heart.
—Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 25 July 2023
With this treatment, Talei is typically targeting the lamina propria—a thin layer of connective tissue in the body of the lips—but says the same cocktail can be injected into the philtrum (above the lip) to rejuvenate the underlying SMAS while helping to smooth the overlying skin.
—Jolene Edgar, Harper's BAZAAR, 8 June 2023
This gives the attacker far-reaching access to the system, bypassing all overlying security measures.
—Dan Goodin, Ars Technica, 11 May 2023
There's also evidence that Europa's ocean occasionally sends plumes of seawater erupting out into space through cracks in the overlying crust.
—Lee Billings, Scientific American, 19 Apr. 2023
The concretions preserved the soft-bodied organism from further decay, but unfortunately the fossils are often flattened due to the weight of the overlying sediment.
—David Bressan, Forbes, 18 Apr. 2023
The new bat fossil seemed to be smaller in size than the other two bat species found from similar, overlying levels in the lake limestone, and its bones seemed to be stouter.
—Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Apr. 2023
The freeways are the concrete net that overlies it all, but only real Angelenos enter their mesmerizing alpha state.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2023
See More
Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 21 Sep. 2023
That’s a very specific cause of cardiac arrest that occurs when there is blunt force trauma to the heart, or the chest wall that overlies the heart.
—Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 25 July 2023
With this treatment, Talei is typically targeting the lamina propria—a thin layer of connective tissue in the body of the lips—but says the same cocktail can be injected into the philtrum (above the lip) to rejuvenate the underlying SMAS while helping to smooth the overlying skin.
—Jolene Edgar, Harper's BAZAAR, 8 June 2023
This gives the attacker far-reaching access to the system, bypassing all overlying security measures.
—Dan Goodin, Ars Technica, 11 May 2023
There's also evidence that Europa's ocean occasionally sends plumes of seawater erupting out into space through cracks in the overlying crust.
—Lee Billings, Scientific American, 19 Apr. 2023
The concretions preserved the soft-bodied organism from further decay, but unfortunately the fossils are often flattened due to the weight of the overlying sediment.
—David Bressan, Forbes, 18 Apr. 2023
The new bat fossil seemed to be smaller in size than the other two bat species found from similar, overlying levels in the lake limestone, and its bones seemed to be stouter.
—Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Apr. 2023
The freeways are the concrete net that overlies it all, but only real Angelenos enter their mesmerizing alpha state.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'overlie.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of overlie was
in the 13th century
Dictionary Entries Near overlie
Cite this Entry
“Overlie.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overlie. Accessed 7 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
Medical Definition
overlie
transitive verb
over·lie
ˌō-vər-ˈlī
: to cause the death of by lying upon
More from Merriam-Webster on overlie
Britannica English: Translation of overlie for Arabic Speakers
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