over·night
ˌō-vər-ˈnīt 
1
a
: on the evening before
b
: during the night
stayed away overnight
2
: very quickly or suddenly
became famous overnight
over·night
ˌō-vər-ˈnīt
over·night
ˈō-vər-ˌnīt
ˌō-vər-ˈnīt
ˌō-vər-ˈnīt
overnighted; overnighting; overnights
: to stay overnight
: to send (something, such as a package or letter) by a mail service for delivery within one day's time
over·night
ˈō-vər-ˌnīt
: an overnight stay
Examples of overnight in a Sentence
Adverb
He stayed overnight and went home the next day.
Let the paint dry overnight.
The novel made her famous overnight.
Adjective
They went on an overnight bus trip.
Overnight guests are not allowed in the dormitory.
The show was an overnight success.
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Recent Examples on the Web
Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 24 Nov. 2023
Having last week closed four border stations, Finland overnight closed all remaining passenger crossings except its northernmost one, Raja-Jooseppi located high north in the Arctic region, for a month.
—Reuters, NBC News, 24 Nov. 2023
Residents in Gaza City said the fighting intensified overnight into Wednesday, with gunfire, heavy artillery and airstrikes.
—Josef Federman, arkansasonline.com, 23 Nov. 2023
In June, the downtown office of Paul López, the Denver clerk and recorder, was attacked overnight with a fusillade of bullets, pockmarking the building’s facade and a ballot drop box and bursting through a window into an office cubicle.
—Michael Wines, New York Times, 22 Nov. 2023
Is there an emergency line if something goes wrong overnight or on weekends?
—Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Nov. 2023
When most tech companies went remote, Equator’s office business disappeared overnight.
—Meimei Fox, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023
Police said Jones fled the scene that night, prompting a massive manhunt while thousands of terrified students sheltered in place overnight.
—Susan Svrluga, Washington Post, 12 Nov. 2023
In Gaza City, residents reported heavy airstrikes and shelling overnight, including in the area around Shifa Hospital.
—Najib Jobain, TIME, 12 Nov. 2023
Kostiantyn Khudov, Washington Post, 25 Nov. 2023
Need something to jumpstart the mornings and end the monotony of overnight oats, bran cereal or random fruit?
—Meredith Woerner, Variety, 24 Nov. 2023
The Bank of Mexico’s five-member board of governors voted unanimously to leave the overnight interest-rate target at 11.25% on Nov. 9, staying on hold for a fifth consecutive time since May.
—Anthony Harrup, WSJ, 23 Nov. 2023
In New York City, the heaviest rain will hit overnight Tuesday into Wednesday.
—Kenton Gewecke, ABC News, 21 Nov. 2023
The sleeping bag packs into the backpack, but there’s still plenty of room for overnight essentials.
—Maya Polton, Parents, 21 Nov. 2023
Hikers attempting to reach the Colorado River are encouraged to consult park rangers for safety tips — extreme temperature and elevation changes make trips beyond Havasupai Gardens more difficult — and overnight permits.
—Alexandra E. Petri, Los Angeles Times, 20 Nov. 2023
Hologic pays for the full cost of Milk Stork, an overnight breast milk delivery service founded in 2015 that also provides on-the-go milk storage.
—Hang Nguyen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Nov. 2023
In the city of Deir al-Balah, a funeral was held for 28 people killed in an overnight bomb that leveled several buildings.
—Wafaa Shurafa, arkansasonline.com, 17 Nov. 2023
Stefanie Waldek, Travel + Leisure, 25 Oct. 2023
This video is showing Covariant’s robotic picking system operating (for over an hour at 10x speed) in a warehouse that handles logistics for a company called Obeta, which overnights orders of electrical supplies to electricians in Germany.
—IEEE Spectrum, 29 Jan. 2020
If Newport Aeronautical had the documents, Barazin would photocopy and overnight them to the customers.
—WIRED, 19 Aug. 2022
This time, Magnanti had to overnight the mask to Los Angeles, where the women’s team departed from.
—Chris Bumbaca, USA TODAY, 14 Feb. 2022
These mobile providers may be able to overnight a new device or replacement so your business doesn’t have to stop when your devices do.
—Max Silber, Forbes, 11 Oct. 2021
Dell was able to overnight a replacement module for the 7090, which easily slid into place.
—Dwight Silverman, Forbes, 14 June 2021
For every room booked May 4-12 for stays between July 6 and Oct. 29, 2020, using the code THANKYOU, guests will get up to 50% off standard room rates and Great Wolf will donate one overnight stay to a nurse.
—Chelsey Lewis, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 5 May 2020
The company making Perkins’ ring had reopened and agreed to overnight the ring to the couple via FedEx.
—Southern Living, 21 Apr. 2020
Stefanie Waldek, Travel + Leisure, 1 Nov. 2023
Facing a critical lack of homes and staff in the foster system, the state child welfare office has introduced a controversial initiative to use apartments at three locations as emergency overnight shelters for youths in need.
—Jason Laughlin, BostonGlobe.com, 29 Aug. 2023
Then the ship will continue up to the Seychelles and the Maldives for overnights during the itineraries' overlap, before continuing with the second itinerary to Petra, Jordan, the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, and finally the Mediterranean.
—Stefanie Waldek, Travel + Leisure, 1 Nov. 2023
Winds gradually diminish during the evening with mostly clear skies through the overnight.
—Dan Stillman, Washington Post, 1 Nov. 2023
The roomy interior offers enough space for an overnight, while a variety of pockets add to organizational possibilities.
—Brigitt Earley, Glamour, 27 Oct. 2023
Through Tonight: Some breaks in the clouds should persist this evening into the early overnight.
—Ian Livingston, Washington Post, 6 Oct. 2023
By Stephanie Krikorian overnights July 28, 2023 Heels Season-Premiere Recap: One Last Card Your favorite wrestling show, that is about so much more than wrestling, is finally back in the ring.
—Malaika Handa, Vulture, 28 July 2023
The details came in response to a follower who asked how her skin looks so good — and include a four-step routine of Goop products and an additional once-a-week overnight Goop eye treatment.
—Charna Flam, Peoplemag, 6 Oct. 2023
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Adverb
Thaw in the refrigerator overnight if frozen, or bake straight from the freezer (the cookies may need additional baking time).
—Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 24 Nov. 2023
Having last week closed four border stations, Finland overnight closed all remaining passenger crossings except its northernmost one, Raja-Jooseppi located high north in the Arctic region, for a month.
—Reuters, NBC News, 24 Nov. 2023
Residents in Gaza City said the fighting intensified overnight into Wednesday, with gunfire, heavy artillery and airstrikes.
—Josef Federman, arkansasonline.com, 23 Nov. 2023
In June, the downtown office of Paul López, the Denver clerk and recorder, was attacked overnight with a fusillade of bullets, pockmarking the building’s facade and a ballot drop box and bursting through a window into an office cubicle.
—Michael Wines, New York Times, 22 Nov. 2023
Is there an emergency line if something goes wrong overnight or on weekends?
—Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Nov. 2023
When most tech companies went remote, Equator’s office business disappeared overnight.
—Meimei Fox, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023
Police said Jones fled the scene that night, prompting a massive manhunt while thousands of terrified students sheltered in place overnight.
—Susan Svrluga, Washington Post, 12 Nov. 2023
In Gaza City, residents reported heavy airstrikes and shelling overnight, including in the area around Shifa Hospital.
—Najib Jobain, TIME, 12 Nov. 2023
Adjective
In the overnight strikes, Russia sent waves of drones from different directions and on a mix of flight paths in a bid to confuse Ukraine’s air defenses, according to Ukrainian media outlets.
—Kostiantyn Khudov, Washington Post, 25 Nov. 2023
Need something to jumpstart the mornings and end the monotony of overnight oats, bran cereal or random fruit?
—Meredith Woerner, Variety, 24 Nov. 2023
The Bank of Mexico’s five-member board of governors voted unanimously to leave the overnight interest-rate target at 11.25% on Nov. 9, staying on hold for a fifth consecutive time since May.
—Anthony Harrup, WSJ, 23 Nov. 2023
In New York City, the heaviest rain will hit overnight Tuesday into Wednesday.
—Kenton Gewecke, ABC News, 21 Nov. 2023
The sleeping bag packs into the backpack, but there’s still plenty of room for overnight essentials.
—Maya Polton, Parents, 21 Nov. 2023
Hikers attempting to reach the Colorado River are encouraged to consult park rangers for safety tips — extreme temperature and elevation changes make trips beyond Havasupai Gardens more difficult — and overnight permits.
—Alexandra E. Petri, Los Angeles Times, 20 Nov. 2023
Hologic pays for the full cost of Milk Stork, an overnight breast milk delivery service founded in 2015 that also provides on-the-go milk storage.
—Hang Nguyen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Nov. 2023
In the city of Deir al-Balah, a funeral was held for 28 people killed in an overnight bomb that leveled several buildings.
—Wafaa Shurafa, arkansasonline.com, 17 Nov. 2023
Verb
Star Legend will sail 16 week-long cruises between Rome and Barcelona, visiting Florence and Pisa in Italy; Monte Carlo, Monaco (where the ship will overnight); and Marseille, France.
—Stefanie Waldek, Travel + Leisure, 25 Oct. 2023
This video is showing Covariant’s robotic picking system operating (for over an hour at 10x speed) in a warehouse that handles logistics for a company called Obeta, which overnights orders of electrical supplies to electricians in Germany.
—IEEE Spectrum, 29 Jan. 2020
If Newport Aeronautical had the documents, Barazin would photocopy and overnight them to the customers.
—WIRED, 19 Aug. 2022
This time, Magnanti had to overnight the mask to Los Angeles, where the women’s team departed from.
—Chris Bumbaca, USA TODAY, 14 Feb. 2022
These mobile providers may be able to overnight a new device or replacement so your business doesn’t have to stop when your devices do.
—Max Silber, Forbes, 11 Oct. 2021
Dell was able to overnight a replacement module for the 7090, which easily slid into place.
—Dwight Silverman, Forbes, 14 June 2021
For every room booked May 4-12 for stays between July 6 and Oct. 29, 2020, using the code THANKYOU, guests will get up to 50% off standard room rates and Great Wolf will donate one overnight stay to a nurse.
—Chelsey Lewis, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 5 May 2020
The company making Perkins’ ring had reopened and agreed to overnight the ring to the couple via FedEx.
—Southern Living, 21 Apr. 2020
Noun
There will be 32 ports of call across 15 countries, including overnights in Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, and Tokyo, among other destinations.
—Stefanie Waldek, Travel + Leisure, 1 Nov. 2023
Facing a critical lack of homes and staff in the foster system, the state child welfare office has introduced a controversial initiative to use apartments at three locations as emergency overnight shelters for youths in need.
—Jason Laughlin, BostonGlobe.com, 29 Aug. 2023
Then the ship will continue up to the Seychelles and the Maldives for overnights during the itineraries' overlap, before continuing with the second itinerary to Petra, Jordan, the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, and finally the Mediterranean.
—Stefanie Waldek, Travel + Leisure, 1 Nov. 2023
Winds gradually diminish during the evening with mostly clear skies through the overnight.
—Dan Stillman, Washington Post, 1 Nov. 2023
The roomy interior offers enough space for an overnight, while a variety of pockets add to organizational possibilities.
—Brigitt Earley, Glamour, 27 Oct. 2023
Through Tonight: Some breaks in the clouds should persist this evening into the early overnight.
—Ian Livingston, Washington Post, 6 Oct. 2023
By Stephanie Krikorian overnights July 28, 2023 Heels Season-Premiere Recap: One Last Card Your favorite wrestling show, that is about so much more than wrestling, is finally back in the ring.
—Malaika Handa, Vulture, 28 July 2023
The details came in response to a follower who asked how her skin looks so good — and include a four-step routine of Goop products and an additional once-a-week overnight Goop eye treatment.
—Charna Flam, Peoplemag, 6 Oct. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'overnight.' 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
Adverb
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Adjective
1824, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb
1891, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense
Noun
1959, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of overnight was
in the 14th century
Phrases Containing overnight
Dictionary Entries Near overnight
Cite this Entry
“Overnight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overnight. Accessed 2 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
overnight
1 of 2 adverb
over·night
ˌō-vər-ˈnīt
1
: on or during the evening or night
stayed away overnight
2
: very quickly or suddenly
became famous overnight
overnight
2 of 2 adjective1
: of, lasting, or staying the night
overnight trip
an overnight guest
2
: sudden sense 1
overnight stardom
3
: traveling during the night
an overnight train
4
: delivered within one day's time
overnight mail
More from Merriam-Webster on overnight
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for overnight
Nglish: Translation of overnight for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of overnight for Arabic Speakers
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