overlap 1 of 2

Definition of overlapnext
as in lapping
a partial covering of one thing by an adjoining member the orthodontist will try to fix that overlap of two of your upper incisors

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overlap

2 of 2

verb

as in to overlie
to lie over parts of one another the brochures on the display table should overlap but not so much that the titles are obscured

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 overlap
Noun
For spring, asparagus, artichokes, peas, spring onions, radishes and bok choy are all in peak form, and several overlap with the Clean Fifteen. Allison Palmer, Sacbee.com, 25 Mar. 2026 As the two overlap this month, pothole season emerges. Jeff Wagner, CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
Verb
But although transphobia overlaps with homophobia, Charlesworth and Finkel argue that trans backlash is not the primary reason for rising anti-gay sentiment. Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026 Working- and middle-class families watch their property taxes climb, fees increase and government units overlap like layers in a bureaucratic lasagna. Andy Shaw, Chicago Tribune, 26 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for overlap
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overlap
Noun
  • From my perch on a sun lounger, Friendship Bay stretches out below me – the curve of the powdery sand beach, the impossible blue of the sea and the calming lapping of the waves against the shore.
    Rebekah Evans, TheWeek, 5 Feb. 2026
  • As Amanyara’s resident wellness expert guided me through a sound healing session and harmonized the vibrations of a Tibetan singing bowl, the lapping of the ocean waves seemed to still.
    Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 9 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • The results are somewhat ambiguous as to how much ice may lurk unseen beneath layers of overlying ice-sparse material.
    K. R. Callaway, Scientific American, 18 Mar. 2026
  • But first, in order to access the SMAS, surgeons have to peel back the overlying skin.
    Jolene Edgar, Allure, 16 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The notes bounced over the lapping water, and people’s voices came in fragments.
    Cassandra Neyenesch, New Yorker, 29 Mar. 2026
  • And nothing compares to waking up beside Alice Lake, where sunrise casts the 9,899-foot El Capitan in pale honey light—an image almost perfectly mirrored in gently lapping water below.
    Madison Chapman, Outside, 25 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Rather than going with the traditional Grand Wagoneer woodgrain, Jeep overlaid a topographical design that runs from the front to the rear fenders.
    Caleb Jacobs, The Drive, 26 Mar. 2026
  • These tools typically are used to listen to the interview questions and provide answers in a window overlaid on the video call.
    ABC News, ABC News, 25 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Overlap.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overlap. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.

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