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

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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
The former congresswoman has consistently denied any wrongdoing and has entered a not guilty plea to federal criminal charges, some of which overlap with the House ethics case. Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 18 June 2026 Sellke, Shi, and Wang then showed that after a certain number of shuffles (which depended on how many cards were in the deck), the overlap between the decks’ regions of unmixed cards disappeared at an exponential rate. John Pavlus, Quanta Magazine, 17 June 2026
Verb
Douglas’ work at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory overlapped with spacecraft exploration programs some of my colleagues participated in as scientists. Margaret Landis, The Conversation, 18 June 2026 Ours is a world of overlapping animal societies, of which humans are just one part. The Los Angeles Times, Mercury News, 18 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for overlap
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overlap
Noun
  • The Wave percale sheets are guaranteed to lull you to sleep, like you’re being rocked by the gentle lapping of the ocean.
    Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 13 May 2026
  • 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
Verb
  • The local agricultural cooperative now struggles given the absence of irrigated agriculture in that area overlying the Ogallala.
    Allen Best, Denver Post, 14 June 2026
  • Soundings reached down more than 35 meters, roughly 1.75 times deeper than measurements taken on the crater floor or the overlying Delta units.
    Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 20 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • In Houston, some drivers were up to their trailer hitches in lapping waters, while photos from Waco, Texas, showed roadways washed away by the storms.
    Chris Dolce, CNN Money, 15 June 2026
  • The laps at Pocono are so long that a car won’t be lapped after pitting if within 10 seconds of the leader.
    Jordan Bianchi, New York Times, 13 June 2026
Verb
  • Another photo was overlaid with a Black Lives Matter filter in remembrance of Atatiana Jefferson, the Black woman who was fatally shot by a Fort Worth police officer in 2019.
    Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 June 2026
  • Inspired by this, Carlito overlaid the Robusto’s Cameroon wrapper with a Dominican Corojo wrapper.
    Richard Carleton Hacker, Robb Report, 19 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Overlap.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overlap. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.

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