overshoot

verb

over·​shoot ˌō-vər-ˈshüt 

overshot ˌō-vər-ˈshät  ; overshooting

transitive verb

1

: to pass swiftly beyond

2

: to shoot or pass over or beyond so as to miss

overshoot

ˈō-vər-ˌshüt 

noun

Synonyms of overshoot

• exceed
• surpass

Examples of overshoot in a Sentence

The plane overshot the runway.

Sometimes we overshoot our time limits.

Recent Examples on the Web

While some level of concern was justified because of elevated uncertainty, the panic likely meant the move was overshooting to the downside. — Zev Fima, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2026

Shoppers hoping for a respite from rising inflation were again disappointed in September, as prices ballooned again, far overshooting the Federal Reserve’s target rate. — Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2026

Wilson overshot an open man on the ensuing first-down play, then found tight end Charlie Williams, and the big guy chugged to the Red Raiders’ 22. — Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 4 Oct. 2026

In Flexera’s 2025 State of the Cloud Report, 84% of enterprise technology leaders named managing cloud spend as their biggest cloud challenge, and companies overshoot their cloud budgets by 17% on average. — Kevin Henneman, Forbes.com, 23 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for overshoot

• absolute
• arrowroot
• attribute
• bitterroot
• constitute
• convolute
• destitute
• disrepute
• dissolute
• execute
• institute
• involute

Kids Definition

overshoot

verb

over·​shoot ˌō-vər-ˈshüt 

overshot -ˈshät  ; overshooting

1

: to miss by going beyond

the plane overshot the runway

2

: to shoot over or beyond

overshot the target

Medical Definition

overshoot

noun

over·​shoot ˈō-vər-ˌshüt 

: a rapid change in electrical potential and reversal of polarity that occurs during an action potential when a cell or tissue is stimulated