overpromise
verb
over·prom·ise
ˌō-vər-ˈprä-məs 
overpromised; overpromising
: to promise more than is possible or realistic
Political candidates always overpromise or else the electorate won't bother to show up at their rallies.—
Michael Gomez
Michael Gomez… received sharp criticism for overpromising and underperforming.—Industry Week
Industry WeekThen a change in the Facebook algorithm punished click bait, which can tend to overpromise on what it links to. Steep traffic drops followed.—Jim Rutenberg
Jim RutenbergTo close a deal, bad vendors tend to overpromise features that they claim will be added down the line but never materialize.—Michael Kan
Michael KanExamples of overpromise in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
After all, it’s been more than a decade since former Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos famously overpromised and under-delivered a flock of high-speed delivery drones jetting out all your Prime purchases in a Jetson-like whir of efficiency.
—Jennifer Jolly, USA TODAY, 4 Apr. 2024
People will overpromise and be too altruistic in a very unrealistic way.
—Rob Reddick, WIRED, 28 Feb. 2024
Vendors will overpromise and overcharge their clients.
—Shane Snow, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2023
And more importantly, wouldn’t this lead to overpromising what AI can do?
—Emilia David, The Verge, 13 Jan. 2024
The potential for screening to save lives was overpromised, especially for young women.
—Peggy Orenstein, New York Times, 22 Dec. 2023
Ultimately, the states’ case will hinge on whether Meta overpromised and underdelivered in terms of protections for children—and even if the states lose, new laws being pursued across states and countries could force curbs on features.
—WIRED, 24 Oct. 2023
But in their zeal to outgun each other with AI, companies have overpromised and underdelivered in ways that risk disappointing you and poisoning the public’s faith in AI for years to come.
—Shira Ovide, Washington Post, 29 Sep. 2023
In posts showing off his private jet, exotic sports cars, and shiny suits, Cardone had a habit of overpromising and playing down financial liability, according to the suit.
—Josh Gabert-Doyon, The New Republic, 29 Aug. 2023
Jennifer Jolly, USA TODAY, 4 Apr. 2024
People will overpromise and be too altruistic in a very unrealistic way.
—Rob Reddick, WIRED, 28 Feb. 2024
Vendors will overpromise and overcharge their clients.
—Shane Snow, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2023
And more importantly, wouldn’t this lead to overpromising what AI can do?
—Emilia David, The Verge, 13 Jan. 2024
The potential for screening to save lives was overpromised, especially for young women.
—Peggy Orenstein, New York Times, 22 Dec. 2023
Ultimately, the states’ case will hinge on whether Meta overpromised and underdelivered in terms of protections for children—and even if the states lose, new laws being pursued across states and countries could force curbs on features.
—WIRED, 24 Oct. 2023
But in their zeal to outgun each other with AI, companies have overpromised and underdelivered in ways that risk disappointing you and poisoning the public’s faith in AI for years to come.
—Shira Ovide, Washington Post, 29 Sep. 2023
In posts showing off his private jet, exotic sports cars, and shiny suits, Cardone had a habit of overpromising and playing down financial liability, according to the suit.
—Josh Gabert-Doyon, The New Republic, 29 Aug. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'overpromise.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near overpromise
Cite this Entry
“Overpromise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overpromise. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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