as in excessive
going beyond a normal or acceptable limit in degree or amount
The writing was great, but some of the acting was over-the-top.
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Recent Examples of over-the-top
Cardi opted for an over-the-top plunging leather blazer with strong shoulders and an outsized gold buckle from Balmain’s pre-fall 2025 collection.
—
Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 24 June 2025
Escola was taking a break from their Tony Award–winning performance as an over-the-top Mary Todd Lincoln in their hit play, Oh, Mary!, to visit Grey Gardens, no longer the crumbling estate of Beale’s day thanks to its new owner, the designer Liz Lange.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 23 June 2025
Eight years later, Legend says the popularity of the over-the-top ties is heavily influenced by streetwear.
—Kristopher Fraser, Robb Report, 20 June 2025
These over-the-top moments and the absurdity of its title may be the elements that made Zombi 2 famous, but beneath them is a movie with an eerie, uncanny vibe that's shockingly easy to get lost in.
—James Grebey, Time, 20 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for over-the-top
Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 24 June 2025
Escola was taking a break from their Tony Award–winning performance as an over-the-top Mary Todd Lincoln in their hit play, Oh, Mary!, to visit Grey Gardens, no longer the crumbling estate of Beale’s day thanks to its new owner, the designer Liz Lange.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 23 June 2025
Eight years later, Legend says the popularity of the over-the-top ties is heavily influenced by streetwear.
—Kristopher Fraser, Robb Report, 20 June 2025
These over-the-top moments and the absurdity of its title may be the elements that made Zombi 2 famous, but beneath them is a movie with an eerie, uncanny vibe that's shockingly easy to get lost in.
—James Grebey, Time, 20 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for over-the-top
Recent Examples of Synonyms for over-the-top
Adjective
-
Shifting From Reactive To Proactive Security: Organizations often spend excessive time reacting to rather than preventing threats.—
Bojan Šimić,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
-
Watch for excessive panting, lagging behind, or stumbling.—
Owen Clarke,
Outside Online,
1 July 2025
Adjective
-
Performance impacts are a consideration too, including physiological and mental impacts for athletes competing in extreme heat or experiencing long breaks during play.—
Claire Poole,
Forbes.com,
29 June 2025
-
The evidence is overwhelming that links extreme heat and air pollution to climate change.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
29 June 2025
Adjective
-
Rosie O'Donnell is using her gift of gab to share her thoughts on billionaire Jeff Bezos' extravagant wedding to Lauren Sánchez over the weekend.—
Mekishana Pierre,
EW.com,
30 June 2025
-
The Amazon founder, 61, and the Emmy-winning journalist, 55, recently concluded an extravagant celebration of their love, surrounded by entertainment's biggest stars, including the Kardashian-Jenner family, Oprah Winfrey and Leonardo DiCaprio.—
Kayla Grant,
People.com,
30 June 2025
Adjective
-
Amanda learned in like 10 seconds, which is insane.—
Scott Roxborough,
The Hollywood Reporter,
24 Mar. 2025
-
The emu egg—a two pound, eight-inch ovoid with a sultry teal shell gently speckled in pale green—seemed like just the right absurdist final flourish for an already insane endeavor.—
Helen Rosner,
The New Yorker,
23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
The Senate's steeper cuts to Medicaid are likely to irritate moderates while the higher price tag could alienate conservatives.—
Caitlin Yilek
July 1,
CBS News,
1 July 2025
-
Challenges need to be overcome, such as insufficient quality of input data, limited historical data, lack of highly skilled data scientists and analysts, regulatory compliance and steep adoption costs.—
Alexandr Khomich,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
Adjective
-
Jeff Bezos was set to celebrate his lavish wedding to Lauren Sánchez at the Fondazione Cini, a cultural institution on the island which occupies a large part of a Benedictine monastery established there in 982 A.D.—
Max Norman,
New Yorker,
27 June 2025
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The fourth-richest person in the world is set to have a lavish wedding in the Italian city, an event that has caused consternation online and in Venice.—
James Powel,
USA Today,
27 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Over-the-top.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/over-the-top. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.
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