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
Synonyms
Examples of oversupply in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the WebAaron Gettinger, arkansasonline.com, 31 Mar. 2024
The oversupply of Chinese goods in key industries is stoking tensions between the world’s biggest manufacturer and its major trading partners, including the United States and the European Union.
—Hanna Ziady, CNN, 28 Mar. 2024
Stone said the reduction in demand for retail space can also be attributed to competition from other shopping districts and oversupply.
—Ryan MacAsero, The Mercury News, 21 Mar. 2024
For now, developers are pulling back on more construction, at least temporarily, due to oversupply in some areas, said Yun.
—Anna Bahney, CNN, 19 Feb. 2024
Retail growth, a key component in reducing oversupply issues, has been stagnant over the past year.
—Detroit Free Press, 9 Feb. 2024
Chile, France and the United States are among the other large wine producers also grappling with oversupply, with even prime areas such as Bordeaux uprooting thousands of hectares of vines.
—Reuters, CNN, 9 Mar. 2024
That oversupply, coupled with development pressures, has led more golf courses to close than to open since 2006.
—Cara Buckley, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2024
And less demand means more office oversupply, which could lead to major price drops that could leave lenders and landlords in the lurch.
—Sydney Lake, Fortune, 13 Feb. 2024
Melissa Repko, NBC News, 16 Oct. 2023
But such dispensaries may be soon be out of business because of competition, oversupply and expected new regulations around the drug’s cultivation and sale, several cannabis industry experts said in interviews.
—Mike Ives, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2023
Investors want oil companies to focus on returning profits to shareholders, not plowing cash into expensive drilling projects that could just oversupply the market once again.
—Matt Egan, CNN, 8 July 2021
Noun
Concerns linger as industry faces pandemic oversupply Arkansas bicycle shops are benefiting from the state's booming mountain bike scene, but broader issues in the market and local characteristics are complicating business.
—Aaron Gettinger, arkansasonline.com, 31 Mar. 2024
The oversupply of Chinese goods in key industries is stoking tensions between the world’s biggest manufacturer and its major trading partners, including the United States and the European Union.
—Hanna Ziady, CNN, 28 Mar. 2024
Stone said the reduction in demand for retail space can also be attributed to competition from other shopping districts and oversupply.
—Ryan MacAsero, The Mercury News, 21 Mar. 2024
For now, developers are pulling back on more construction, at least temporarily, due to oversupply in some areas, said Yun.
—Anna Bahney, CNN, 19 Feb. 2024
Retail growth, a key component in reducing oversupply issues, has been stagnant over the past year.
—Detroit Free Press, 9 Feb. 2024
Chile, France and the United States are among the other large wine producers also grappling with oversupply, with even prime areas such as Bordeaux uprooting thousands of hectares of vines.
—Reuters, CNN, 9 Mar. 2024
That oversupply, coupled with development pressures, has led more golf courses to close than to open since 2006.
—Cara Buckley, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2024
And less demand means more office oversupply, which could lead to major price drops that could leave lenders and landlords in the lurch.
—Sydney Lake, Fortune, 13 Feb. 2024
Verb
The beleaguered drugstore chain has been grappling with slowing sales, mounting debt and a slew of lawsuits that allege the company helped fuel the nation’s opioid epidemic by oversupplying painkillers.
—Melissa Repko, NBC News, 16 Oct. 2023
But such dispensaries may be soon be out of business because of competition, oversupply and expected new regulations around the drug’s cultivation and sale, several cannabis industry experts said in interviews.
—Mike Ives, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2023
Investors want oil companies to focus on returning profits to shareholders, not plowing cash into expensive drilling projects that could just oversupply the market once again.
—Matt Egan, CNN, 8 July 2021
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'oversupply.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Oversupply.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oversupply. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
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