overshadow

verb over·shad·ow \ ˌō-vər-ˈsha-(ˌ)dō \

|Updated on: 9 Jul 2018

Examples: overshadow in a Sentence

Definition of overshadow

transitive verb

1 : to cast a shadow over

2 : to exceed in importance : outweigh

See overshadow defined for English-language learners

See overshadow defined for kids

Examples of overshadow in a Sentence

The pitcher's outstanding performance should not overshadow the achievements of the rest of the team.
large trees overshadow the yard and darken the house for much of the day

Recent Examples of overshadow from the Web

For the second time in a month, Spivey's discoveries blew up online - and threatened to overshadow what was actually happening on the show.

— emily yahr, chicagotribune.com, "Meet the former 'Bachelor' contestant who is blowing up this season of 'The Bachelorette'," 2 July 2018
Yet his personality is such that is occasionally has the ability to overshadow both his teammates and the goal of bringing Brazil its sixth World Cup title.

— martin rogers, USA TODAY, "Is Neymar really Brazil's 'problem child'?," 28 June 2018
The struggle for Vicksburg has long been overshadowed by Gettysburg, the war’s greatest battle.

— russell s. bonds, WSJ, "‘Vicksburg’ Review: The Falling Tide of Gray," 20 June 2018
Still, the afternoon’s theatrics seemed to overshadow the legal developments — and proved to be the latest example of the ongoing pressures that have enveloped the case since the killings.

— chris palmer, Philly.com, "Tensions boil over as South Philly teen agrees to be tried as adult in killing of two 16-year-olds," 5 June 2018
Roseanne’s revival has long been overshadowed by its star’s vocal political opinions.

— vox staff, Vox, "ABC cancels Roseanne," 29 May 2018
The absolute enormity of that number were seemingly enough to overshadow any network concerns about Barr’s online behavior, which, ABC seemed to reason, could be explained away by hinting vaguely at her eccentricity.

— david sims, The Atlantic, "Why ABC Finally Had to Cancel Roseanne," 29 May 2018
But its location between two major cities already leading the way in the states with live release rates seems to overshadow San Marcos’ needs.

— cathy m. rosenthal, San Antonio Express-News, "San Marcos’ low-income pet owners, strays need help," 11 May 2018
But as has also been the case with the Spurs, this has sparked a wave of coach worship that threatens to overshadow the contributions of the players.

— nathaniel friedman, GQ, "The Celtics Are The Most Likable Team Left Standing," 11 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'overshadow.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of overshadow

before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

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overshadow Synonyms

OVERSHADOW Defined for English Language Learners

overshadow

verb

Definition of overshadow for English Language Learners

: to cause (something or someone) to seem less important or impressive when compared to something or someone else
: to make (something) less enjoyable because of sadness, fear, or worry
: to cast a shadow over (something)