overwinter

1 of 2

verb

over·​win·​ter ˌō-vər-ˈwin-tər 

overwintered; overwintering; overwinters

intransitive verb

: to last through or pass the winter

overwinter

2 of 2

adjective

: occurring during the period spanning the winter

Examples of overwinter in a Sentence

Verb

The geese will overwinter in a warmer climate.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Rotating crops on a 3 to 5-year cycle keeps squash bugs from overwintering in gardens and plaguing plants year after year. — Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 20 July 2026

But in 2018 and again in 2019, fewer than 30,000 overwintered in California—less than 1 percent of their historic totals. — Literary Hub, 15 July 2026

Adjective

Wait until spring to clean up garden beds, since pollinators overwinter in old leaf litter. — Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 20 July 2026

The virus spends approximately ten months of every year locked inside dormant mosquito eggs that overwinter beneath leaf litter and snow, with little to no viral replication, so few new mutations enter the population. — John Drake, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1900, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for overwinter

• teleprinter
• midwinter
• reenter
• minter
• printer
• sinter
• splinter
• sprinter
• winter

Kids Definition

overwinter

verb

over·​win·​ter

-ˈwint-ər

: to spend or survive the winter

the butterfly overwinters in Mexico