as in to reject
to decide that (something or someone) is wrong; to rule against (something or someone)
The judge overruled the objection. His conviction was overruled by the supreme court.
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Recent Examples of overrule
Most descriptions conclude that Obama used this quirky exchange to overrule his panicky advisors and run full steam ahead on health reform.
—
Literary Hub, 23 Mar. 2026
Those objections were overruled.
—Sarah Todd, STAT, 20 Mar. 2026
They were overruled 11-2 with two abstentions.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 13 Mar. 2026
The Dred Scott decision was later overruled by the ratification of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments after the Civil War, which outlawed slavery, gave former slaves citizenship, and gave former slaves voting rights, respectively.
—Jack Birle, The Washington Examiner, 27 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for overrule
Literary Hub, 23 Mar. 2026
Those objections were overruled.
—Sarah Todd, STAT, 20 Mar. 2026
They were overruled 11-2 with two abstentions.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 13 Mar. 2026
The Dred Scott decision was later overruled by the ratification of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments after the Civil War, which outlawed slavery, gave former slaves citizenship, and gave former slaves voting rights, respectively.
—Jack Birle, The Washington Examiner, 27 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for overrule
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overrule
Verb
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Olsson rejects The Athletic’s offer to take cover inside the coffee shop.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
1 Apr. 2026
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Last week, for example, the UK government rejected plans by a Chinese company, Ming Yang, to invest in a Scottish factory to produce wind turbine blades, citing national security reasons.—
Andy Browne,
semafor.com,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Authorities had since dismissed her lawyers’ requests to send her to a hospital for urgent treatment.—
Cora Engelbrecht,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
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There is a long history of women's pain being dismissed by doctors, incorrectly categorized as period pain or rooted in psychological distress.—
Madeline Mitchell,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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For certain great artists, Meis believes, the creative act is a safe harbor where life’s pressures, exigencies, and calamities aren’t so much denied or resolved as reimagined as pictorial dramas.—
Jed Perl,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
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Judge Antonio Arzola denied the request for a standard bond, citing probable cause, and issued an elevated $5,000 bond.—
Nikiya Carrero,
CBS News,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Increasingly, judges are opting to sanction lawyers who submit briefs tainted by AI errors, Moylan said, sometimes fining those who refuse to admit wrongdoing or referring them to their state’s bar association for disciplinary actions.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
1 Apr. 2026
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Like the impish anti-romance that crumbles around it, the movie’s twist is both transgressive enough to be pleased with itself and also rooted in a reality that refuses to be dismissed as a bad joke.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In the face of growing opposition generated in part by allegations of his misconduct, Gaetz withdrew.—
Austin Sarat,
The Conversation,
3 Apr. 2026
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Each retiree withdraws $50,000 per year.—
Doug Ashburn,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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This is a youngster in great form and proving hard to ignore.—
Simon Johnson,
New York Times,
1 Apr. 2026
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Some Democrats argue that the cost of ignoring young male voters is higher than the risk of association with Piker.—
Jesus Mesa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overrule.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overrule. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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