oversell
verb
over·sell
ˌō-vər-ˈsel 
oversold
ˌō-vər-ˈsōld
; overselling
; overselling
1
a
: to sell too much or too many to
b
: to sell too much or too many of
2
: to make excessive claims for
Examples of oversell in a Sentence
Hotels routinely oversell their rooms, expecting a small percentage of no-shows.
Don't oversell yourself in the job interview.
The salesman oversold the features on the new model.
Recent Examples on the Web
The Relative Strength Index (RSI) is a momentum indicator that measures the magnitude of recent price changes to analyze overbought or oversold conditions.
—
Frank Holmes, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2023
Electric Zoo oversold the festival’s 42,500-person capacity by 7,000 tickets on Sunday, the New York Police Department estimated.
—Paige Hagy, Fortune, 6 Sep. 2023
One strategy that sparks debate among frequent fliers is trying to negotiate an upgrade when a flight is oversold.
—Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Aug. 2023
The remaining steamboats and beaches were often run by white businessmen who illegally oversold tickets, which led to severe overcrowding and outbreaks of violence.
—Cj Blair, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 June 2023
Both scenarios can happen when airlines intentionally oversell flights and more people show up at the gate than there are seats on the plane, forcing them to keep some number of people grounded.
—Zach Wichter, USA TODAY, 10 May 2023
But many are oversold on its benefits, Nissen said, particularly by shopping mall clinics that end up prescribing testosterone to half the men who walk in the door.
—Karen Weintraub, USA TODAY, 16 June 2023
The market has fallen by about 50% year-to-date, so as oil prices begin to tank amid weak demand and robust supplies, natural gas investors may shrug that off since the natural gas market is already oversold.
—WSJ, 12 June 2023
And tonight’s final chapter did not disappoint, though was oversold by its executive producer, spawning a plethora of wild conspiracy theories, from a Raquel pregnancy to Lisa Vanderpump slander to a Brock/Raquel tryst to Scandoval originating pre-Rachella.
—Marlow Stern, Rolling Stone, 8 June 2023
See More
Frank Holmes, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2023
Electric Zoo oversold the festival’s 42,500-person capacity by 7,000 tickets on Sunday, the New York Police Department estimated.
—Paige Hagy, Fortune, 6 Sep. 2023
One strategy that sparks debate among frequent fliers is trying to negotiate an upgrade when a flight is oversold.
—Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Aug. 2023
The remaining steamboats and beaches were often run by white businessmen who illegally oversold tickets, which led to severe overcrowding and outbreaks of violence.
—Cj Blair, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 June 2023
Both scenarios can happen when airlines intentionally oversell flights and more people show up at the gate than there are seats on the plane, forcing them to keep some number of people grounded.
—Zach Wichter, USA TODAY, 10 May 2023
But many are oversold on its benefits, Nissen said, particularly by shopping mall clinics that end up prescribing testosterone to half the men who walk in the door.
—Karen Weintraub, USA TODAY, 16 June 2023
The market has fallen by about 50% year-to-date, so as oil prices begin to tank amid weak demand and robust supplies, natural gas investors may shrug that off since the natural gas market is already oversold.
—WSJ, 12 June 2023
And tonight’s final chapter did not disappoint, though was oversold by its executive producer, spawning a plethora of wild conspiracy theories, from a Raquel pregnancy to Lisa Vanderpump slander to a Brock/Raquel tryst to Scandoval originating pre-Rachella.
—Marlow Stern, Rolling Stone, 8 June 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'oversell.' 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
1576, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Dictionary Entries Near oversell
Cite this Entry
“Oversell.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oversell. Accessed 29 Nov. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
More from Merriam-Webster on oversell
Britannica English: Translation of oversell for Arabic Speakers
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share