as in extortion
the exaction of a grossly excessive charge for goods or services
stores that were prosecuted for overcharging during and after the hurricane
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in gouging
to charge (someone) too much for goods or services
I think that store may have overcharged us for the shoes, which were supposed to be on sale
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in overloading
to fill or load to excess
overcharged his thesis with long, fancy words
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 overcharging
Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 6 Jan. 2026
Jeevarajan’s team also subjected batteries to overcharging and to electrical shorts.
—Andrew Moseman, IEEE Spectrum, 22 Nov. 2025
But in January, Axon CEO and billionaire cofounder Rick Smith killed their deal, accusing Flock of overcharging and trying to lock customers into its products.
—Thomas Brewster, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 1 Jan. 2026
Last year, McDonald's sparked outrage after customers began sharing their experiences of being charged nearly $20 for a single Big Mac meal combo - which many accusing the fast-food brand, typically associated with affordable food, of overcharging.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Nov. 2025
California is the biggest target after the state self-reported overcharging the federal government for health care services delivered to immigrants without legal status, determined to be at least $500 million, spurring the threat of a lawsuit.
—Arkansas Online, 6 Sep. 2025
California is the biggest target after the state self-reported overcharging the federal government for health care services delivered to immigrants without legal status, determined to be at least $500 million, spurring the threat of a lawsuit.
—Angela Hart, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2025
The owners are accused of overcharging in categories such as crematory fees, refrigeration fees, sales tax and several others.
—Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Florida officials are accusing two publishers of systematically overcharging some school districts for textbooks, including more than $279,000 billed to Osceola County schools.
—Skyler Swisher, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 Aug. 2025
They’re connected to smart plugs that turn on for just 15 minutes a day, enough to keep them topped off without overcharging.
—Larry Magid, Mercury News, 7 Aug. 2025
Noun
While that’s substantial, even a much larger overcharging estimate on the part of PBMs would be a far cry from the $38 trillion national debt.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 6 Jan. 2026
Jeevarajan’s team also subjected batteries to overcharging and to electrical shorts.
—Andrew Moseman, IEEE Spectrum, 22 Nov. 2025
But in January, Axon CEO and billionaire cofounder Rick Smith killed their deal, accusing Flock of overcharging and trying to lock customers into its products.
—Thomas Brewster, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Verb
Best Care was previously accused in civil court of fraudulently billing or overcharging the federal government for healthcare services that were never actually performed.
—Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 1 Jan. 2026
Last year, McDonald's sparked outrage after customers began sharing their experiences of being charged nearly $20 for a single Big Mac meal combo - which many accusing the fast-food brand, typically associated with affordable food, of overcharging.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Nov. 2025
California is the biggest target after the state self-reported overcharging the federal government for health care services delivered to immigrants without legal status, determined to be at least $500 million, spurring the threat of a lawsuit.
—Arkansas Online, 6 Sep. 2025
California is the biggest target after the state self-reported overcharging the federal government for health care services delivered to immigrants without legal status, determined to be at least $500 million, spurring the threat of a lawsuit.
—Angela Hart, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2025
The owners are accused of overcharging in categories such as crematory fees, refrigeration fees, sales tax and several others.
—Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Florida officials are accusing two publishers of systematically overcharging some school districts for textbooks, including more than $279,000 billed to Osceola County schools.
—Skyler Swisher, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 Aug. 2025
They’re connected to smart plugs that turn on for just 15 minutes a day, enough to keep them topped off without overcharging.
—Larry Magid, Mercury News, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overcharging
Noun
-
These vulnerabilities contributed to notorious scandals, including the Gun Trace Task Force corruption case, in which officers engaged in robbery, extortion and falsifying evidence.—
Karl W. Bickel,
Baltimore Sun,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Coveware, a company that helps clients respond to cyber extortion incidents, reports the average ransom payment made by victims of cyberattacks has been falling.—
Suzanne King,
Kansas City Star,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Those dollars have been won through cases the district attorney has joined against major corporations, including price-gouging lawsuits against Walmart and Lowe’s, an environmental lawsuit against Tesla and a case alleging deceptive business practices by HelloFresh, a meal-kit subscription company.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Add Tree Guards Although rabbits will sometimes nibble on tree bark in winter, deer are more likely to do serious damage to young trees, either by stripping tree bark away with their teeth or gouging holes in the bark with their antlers.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
21 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
The idea was to limit the impacts of Martin Zubimendi, Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard, while tracking Arsenal’s full-backs, Jurrien Timber and Piero Hincapie, to prevent them from overloading Liverpool’s back four or the midfield zone.—
Ahmed Walid,
New York Times,
9 Jan. 2026
-
But overloading the dishwasher can result in dirty dishes that need to be put through a second cycle to get clean, and dishes that are crammed in may become damaged.—
Elizabeth Brownfield,
Southern Living,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Emotional cheating involves starting a relationship with someone.—
Abigail Van Buren,
Boston Herald,
23 Jan. 2026
-
The Justice Department's most high-profile Clean Air Act criminal case related to emissions cheating was Volkswagen.—
Sarah N. Lynch,
CBS News,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
But a lackluster performance during that fall's vice presidential debate did little to help the party avoid stinging losses in November 2024.—
Hunter Woodall,
CBS News,
5 Jan. 2026
-
The 31-year-old was among dozens who braved stinging brain freeze to win an exclusive Snow King foldable bag.—
Theodora Yu,
Fortune,
3 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
The container is insulated and protected from weather and palletized for easy transport using a forklift for loading onto vehicles or aircraft.—
Gidget Fuentes,
USA Today,
5 Jan. 2026
-
There might also be loading instructions in the machine’s manual.—
Nafeesah Allen,
Better Homes & Gardens,
4 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Nearly all of the defendants accused or convicted of defrauding a federal program to feed hungry children are of Somali descent.—
Sarah N. Lynch,
CBS News,
21 Jan. 2026
-
The bill proposes to add revenue to the VOCA fund by pulling from monetary penalties against people or companies convicted of defrauding the government through the False Claims Act.—
Tamia Fowlkes,
jsonline.com,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
As for the after-show, the highlight (other than Jawan overfilling his champagne glass) had to be Jeff listing all the idols and advantages that were played incorrectly or unnecessarily.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
18 Dec. 2025
-
Grill them about the perils of overfilling the spool.—
The Editors,
Outdoor Life,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Overcharging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overcharging. Accessed 26 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
