Thesaurus results for OVERLAP

overlap 1 of 2

noun

Definition of overlap

as in lapping

a partial covering of one thing by an adjoining member the orthodontist will try to fix that overlap of two of your upper incisors

Synonyms & Similar Words

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overlap

2 of 2

verb

ˌō-vər-ˈlap

as in to overlie

to lie over parts of one another the brochures on the display table should overlap but not so much that the titles are obscured

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 overlap

Noun

This sale will reduce our portfolio's overlap to the same thesis. — Jeff Marks, CNBC, 8 July 2026 Tornadoes can happen anywhere that storm fuel and spin overlap, but this week has been downright bizarre. — Matthew Cappucci, Washington Post, 7 July 2026

Verb

The symptoms can overlap because post-childbirth, estrogen and progesterone drop to their pre-pregnancy levels. — Theara Coleman, TheWeek, 13 July 2026 That’s in no small part because oversight and control are fragmented, overlapping and confusing. — Los Angeles Times, 13 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for overlap

Recent Examples of Synonyms for overlap

Noun

The Wave percale sheets are guaranteed to lull you to sleep, like you’re being rocked by the gentle lapping of the ocean.

— Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 13 July 2026
From my perch on a sun lounger, Friendship Bay stretches out below me – the curve of the powdery sand beach, the impossible blue of the sea and the calming lapping of the waves against the shore.

— Rebekah Evans, TheWeek, 5 Feb. 2026

Definition of lapping

Verb

With just a bit more than a month to go before the primary election on August 18, polls show Byron Donalds lapping the field for the Republican nomination while David Jolly has a solid lead among Democrats.

— CBS Miami Team, CBS News, 12 July 2026
Adult cats that haven’t nursed in over a decade will still knead blankets, laps and each other, with no milk anywhere in the picture.

— Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026

Definition of lap

Verb

In Modrić and Haaland’s cases, some do this by overlaying bows and hearts on their images.

— Kaitlyn Huamani, Fortune, 13 July 2026
But many forests overlay valuable minerals and parcels can be leased by private companies for the extraction of nonrenewable resources such as oil, gas and coal.

— ABC News, ABC News, 13 July 2026

Definition of overlay

Browse Nearby Words

overlain

overlap

overlapped

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Style

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

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Synonyms of overlap

noun

verb

Example Sentences

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