overlain

Definition of overlainnext
past participle of overlie
1
as in overlapped
to lie over parts of one another the puzzle pieces overlay one another in complete disarray on the floor

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
See the Dictionary Definition 

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for overlain
Verb
  • Remembering Cox would be easy, Freeman told former Braves manager Brian Snitker, who overlapped with Cox for much of his own near half-century in the organization.
    Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 10 May 2026
  • Once the electrons were close enough, the spin wavefunctions overlapped, allowing the researchers to perform two-qubit gates on them.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 8 May 2026
Verb
  • An astounding 500 to 1,000 nails are used on each piece, which is coated with the signature canvas.
    Jacqui Gifford, Travel + Leisure, 6 May 2026
  • Moss, sticks and other debris floated in the water while the South Sawyer Glacier, usually brilliant blue, was coated in a layer of dust.
    Megan I. Gannon, Scientific American, 6 May 2026
Verb
  • As of last month, 62 percent of the vehicle covered in the recall had already received the update.
    Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 9 May 2026
  • Storefronts once crammed with shoppers, now covered by tarps.
    Audrey Pachuta, Chicago Tribune, 9 May 2026
Verb
  • The gold ring is composed of a mixed-cut octagonal sapphire which is overlaid with four rectangular-cut and one square-cut rubies.
    Alex Gurley, PEOPLE, 26 Apr. 2026
  • To do this, Schlatter overlaid the crowding composites tracked by Citi.
    Alex Harring, CNBC, 31 Mar. 2026
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.

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Overlain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overlain. Accessed 11 May. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster