over·sup·ply
ˈō-vər-sə-ˌplī 
plural oversupplies
: an excessive supply : an amount of something (such as a good) that is more than is needed or wanted
… if there is an oversupply of herring on a given day, the shrewd fishmonger will lower his price …—
Robert Kuttner
Robert KuttnerAlthough this means better and cheaper jug wines for consumers, the 122,000 acres of wine grapes coming into production over the next three years could well lead to oversupplies.—Daniel Sogg
Daniel Soggan oversupply of applicants for the available jobs
Information is in oversupply, and the audience wants someone who can help make sense of it.—Joanne Ostrow
Joanne Ostrow
over·sup·ply
ˌō-vər-sə-ˈplī
oversupplied; oversupplying
: to supply (something, such as a commodity) in excess
The OPEC nations have been oversupplying crude oil for more than two years, seemingly in an attempt to drive their main competitors—US shale oil and gas producers—out of business.—Jackson Stiles
: to provide (someone or something) with more than is needed or wanted
Jackson Stilesmanufacturers oversupplying the market
oversupplied
adjective
… the inevitable result of spilling a million workers into an already oversupplied low-wage labor market …
—Jeff Faux
Jeff Faux
Examples of oversupply in a Sentence
Noun
an oversupply of new homes is helping to drive down housing prices
Recent Examples on the Web
Jordan Valinsky, CNN Money, 18 May 2025
The Texas housing market is undergoing a substantial correction, driven by a combination of oversupply, declining demand and persistent affordability issues.
—James Bickerton, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 May 2025
Tony Zhang, CNBC, 7 May 2025
Oil prices plunged on Thursday on worries that Trump’s trade war will slow the world economy and that OPEC is oversupplying the market.
—John Towfighi, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for oversupply
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Noun
Plus years of excessive demand have sparked an oversupply of agave — the main ingredient in tequila — causing prices to sharply decline as inventory goes unsold, damaging profits for farmers.
—Jordan Valinsky, CNN Money, 18 May 2025
The Texas housing market is undergoing a substantial correction, driven by a combination of oversupply, declining demand and persistent affordability issues.
—James Bickerton, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 May 2025
Verb
Competitive Pressure : Stiff competition from Chinese EV makers is eroding Tesla’s market share, which fell from 17.9% to 9.3% in Europe in Q1 2025, while high inventory levels signal oversupply amid declining demand.
—Tony Zhang, CNBC, 7 May 2025
Oil prices plunged on Thursday on worries that Trump’s trade war will slow the world economy and that OPEC is oversupplying the market.
—John Towfighi, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for oversupply
Cite this Entry
“Oversupply.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oversupply. Accessed 29 May. 2025.
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