overlain

verb

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

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2
as in coated
to form a layer over there will be freezing rain tonight, so we can expect to find a thick layer of ice overlying the car windshield in the morning

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for overlain
  1. overlapped
  2. coated
  3. covered
  4. overlaid
Verb
  • But the study highlights that prehistoric human relatives who overlapped in time with Neanderthals and modern humans could have extremely different behavioral adaptations, Pobiner added.
    — Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 3 July 2026
  • While fashion and beauty have long overlapped, the partnership reflects growing interest from a wider range of brands looking to expand into adjacent categories without building in-house expertise from scratch.
    — Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 2 July 2026
Definition of overlapped
Verb
  • Remove from heat, and add cereal mixture; fold gently until evenly coated.
    — Erin Merhar, Southern Living, 13 July 2026
  • The Moon may not be coated by miles-deep quicksand, but it is covered with countless microscopic knives.
    — Elijah Tan, Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 July 2026
Definition of coated
Verb
  • Additionally, our commerce writers and editors have previously covered a vast array of jeans styles, including the best butt-lifting jeans and best drawstring jeans.
    — Jessie Quinn, StyleCaster, 9 July 2026
  • Wired journalists Noah Shachtman and Maddy Varner combed through Madison Square Garden documents that were published last month by the criminal hacker collective ShinyHunters and first covered by 404 Media.
    — Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 9 July 2026
Definition of covered
Verb
  • In true influencer form, tons of small clips are edited together and overlaid with bouncy captions.
    — Sophie Lindberg, Kansas City Star, 3 July 2026
  • These included a selfie taken at a Texas Christian University football game and overlaid with the Palestinian flag.
    — Kamal Morgan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 June 2026
Definition of overlaid
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

overlaid
overlain
overlap
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Cite this Entry

“Overlain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overlain. Accessed 17 Jul. 2026.

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