1
as in general
belonging or relating to the whole
the overall view seems to be that we're doing fine economically
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in broad
relating to the main elements and not to specific details
there's an overall similarity in the looks of the models for that chain of clothing stores
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in prevailing
held by or applicable to a majority of the people
the overall mind-set among the people in our town seems to be that any increase in taxes is bad
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in collectively
with everyone or everything taken into account at the same time
reduce the budget overall by 15 percent
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in mostly
for the most part
overall, this is a good speech, but it could use a little humor
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of overall
Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 29 Apr. 2025
The stunning fall followed a dramatic weekend that began with many predicting that he would likely be selected in the first round along with teammate Travis Hunter, who was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the second overall pick.
—Paulina Dedaj, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2025
Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 26 Apr. 2025
Maybe the Browns see the 23-year-old Sanders as the right person to take this job and will draft him second overall.
—Zac Jackson, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overall
Adjective
Authors of the study attributed the country's overall decrease in mortality rates to national improvements in sanitation, tobacco policies and health care, specifically calling out the progress made in terms of preventing cardiovascular disease, cancer and other illnesses since 1900.
—Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 29 Apr. 2025
The stunning fall followed a dramatic weekend that began with many predicting that he would likely be selected in the first round along with teammate Travis Hunter, who was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the second overall pick.
—Paulina Dedaj, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2025
Adverb
Shough went 40th overall to the New Orleans Saints.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 26 Apr. 2025
Maybe the Browns see the 23-year-old Sanders as the right person to take this job and will draft him second overall.
—Zac Jackson, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overall
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overall
Adjective
-
Primaries not needed Spanberger and Earle-Sears can both skip competing in a primary and will instead head straight into the general face-off.—
Savannah Kuchar,
USA Today,
21 Apr. 2025
-
This year is a defining one for Verbeek, who became a first-time NHL general manager in February 2022 after being an acolyte to Steve Yzerman in Tampa Bay and Detroit.—
Eric Stephens,
New York Times,
20 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
While the broader impact of the administration's funding pause remains unclear, the escalating battle has brought many of the university's key research projects, including studies on Alzheimer's disease and cancer treatment, to a halt.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2025
-
The film's broad cultural influence extends beyond the entertainment industry.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
29 Apr. 2025
Adverb
-
Steenstrup then came up with the title, which refers in Norway mostly to offspring of wealthy people.—
Annika Pham,
Variety,
25 Apr. 2025
-
The study argued, however, that because the data centers would mostly not have been established without the incentive, their overall economic impact was significantly positive.—
Andrew R. Chow,
Time,
25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
That could lead to or exacerbate shortages of certain generic drugs in the U.S., such as sterile injectable drugs commonly used in hospitals.—
Annika Kim Constantino,
CNBC,
1 May 2025
-
Another drug that is sometimes used for itchy dogs is Atopica, generic name is cyclosporine.—
Dr. John De Jong,
Boston Herald,
27 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The move triggered a 21-day public comment period as part of the investigation led by the Commerce Department.—
Maggie Fick,
USA Today,
26 Apr. 2025
-
Gallagher said the government has presented no evidence that Cristian poses a threat to public safety.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
25 Apr. 2025
Adverb
-
Staff counselors are generally college students or high school seniors, the camp's website says.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2025
-
This would usually happen on the Friday before a game, by which time the media throng was generally limited to beat writers who know their X’s and O’s.—
Steve Buckley,
New York Times,
29 Apr. 2025
Adverb
-
Aruba has been on my bucket list for a while, mainly because of its pristine beaches.—
Dominique Fluker,
Essence,
1 May 2025
-
That will only earn you small, incremental gains, mainly on the individual level.—
Glenn Mathis,
Forbes.com,
30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Yahoo was at one point the most popular search engine in the world, before slowly losing its market share to Google in the early 2000s.—
Will McCurdy,
PC Magazine,
26 Apr. 2025
-
Morii Outdoor View 5 Images View gallery - 5 images Coffee is one of the most popular beverages in the world – by some accounts, the most popular of all.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
26 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Overall.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overall. Accessed 5 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share