over-the-top

adjective

Definition of over-the-topnext
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.

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 over-the-top Beyond being used to stalk innocent people, the cameras have also swarmed random individuals with over-the-top police responses, including a journalist. — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 20 Aug. 2026 All of those channels stream with ESPN Unlimited, an over-the-top subscription that’s also accessible with certain cable/streaming logins. — Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026 Densely adorned with all the classic trappings – maritime decor, dim lighting and over-the-top decorative mugs – The Jungle Bird serves up both the tried-and-true classics and some original creations. — Anne Ewbank, Sacbee.com, 19 Aug. 2026 They might have been inspired to go low-key after attending Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s over-the-top nuptials at Madison Square Garden in NYC over July 4 weekend. — Richard Johnson, New York Daily News, 15 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for over-the-top
Recent Examples of Synonyms for over-the-top
  1. excessive
  2. extreme
  3. extravagant
  4. insane
  5. steep
  6. lavish
Adjective
  • This past weekend saw Monterey Car Week at perhaps its most excessive ever.
    — Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 17 Aug. 2026
  • The ranchers said the park service saddled them with excessive rules and regulations.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of excessive
Adjective
  • The combination of extreme heat and high demand for sites — which means not everyone can visit in the morning — is adding urgency to sun protection.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Phillips-Fein recently talked to CNN about how those ideals have eroded in recent years and why some working- class and poor people embrace the belief that extreme inequality is good for America.
    — John Blake, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of extreme
Adjective
  • The metaverse, an extravagant bet on a weird virtual future, flopped.
    — Will Oremus, The Atlantic, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Arendt comes most fully alive, though, when Meyer lets her own extravagant, commanding voice carry the story forward.
    — David Denby, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of extravagant
Adjective
  • If that insane offer doesn’t plug the leak, the fire sale begins.
    — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • That’s a big memory for me as a kid, so having that happen is insane.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of insane
Adjective
  • This rainfall may produce life threatening flooding and mudslides, especially in steep terrain and over areas that were affected recently by Hurricane Lala.
    — Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Growth-stage companies currently forced into private placements at steep discounts and significant dilution to existing shareholders would gain a transparent, public alternative.
    — Cromwell Coulson, Fortune, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of steep
Adjective
  • Lindsay Lohan wowed in a sleek minidress during a lavish family vacation in the French Riviera with her husband Bader Shammas and their 3-year-old son Luai.
    — Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 23 Aug. 2026
  • The Picture of Dorian Gray An enchanted portrait and a life of debauchery are at the core of this lavish literary horror by Oscar Wilde.
    — Caroline Rogers, Southern Living, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of lavish

Browse Nearby Words

over the moon
over-the-top
overthrew
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Over-the-top.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/over-the-top. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

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