as in intersecting
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as in overlying
to lie over parts of one another
the brochures on the display table should overlap but not so much that the titles are obscured
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Recent Examples of overlapping
Kelli Arseneau, jsonline.com, 26 Feb. 2026
In the 1800s, for example, the German philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel used the term Zeitgeist—the spirit of times—to refer to such ubiquitous and overlapping influences that operate across both macro and micro levels.
—Maria Balaska, Time, 20 Dec. 2025
Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
That range spans about 370 parts-per-billion between the various estimates, with some overlapping with Fermilab’s experimental data and others, particularly from the older R-ratio methods, disagreeing with Fermilab’s data at greater than the 5-sigma threshold.
—Big Think, 19 Mar. 2026
The remaining organizations fall into overlapping ideological categories.
—Asra Q. Nomani, FOXNews.com, 19 Mar. 2026
But Iglesias argued that, with their sales records and overlapping fan bases, the math would all work out.
—Todd Longwell, Variety, 18 Mar. 2026
Fold the overlapping plastic wrap over the cake and gently press on it to settle and even the cake.
—Mary Ann Esposito, Boston Herald, 18 Mar. 2026
After months of overlapping injuries, the Nuggets have missed the mark on David Adelman’s recent dream of playing the last 20 regular-season games at full health.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 16 Mar. 2026
To buy the company, Paramount is taking on $79 billion in debt, a massive amount that many in Hollywood expect will result in steep layoffs targeting overlapping functions and departments across the two companies.
—Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 2026
The cedar wood’s grains are enhanced with an overlapping cladding style build, and the shingled roof adds a storybook cottage feel.
—Shea Simmons, Southern Living, 14 Mar. 2026
Adjective
Its dealers also have non-overlapping territories, which reduces competition, according to the complaints.
—Kelli Arseneau, jsonline.com, 26 Feb. 2026
In the 1800s, for example, the German philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel used the term Zeitgeist—the spirit of times—to refer to such ubiquitous and overlapping influences that operate across both macro and micro levels.
—Maria Balaska, Time, 20 Dec. 2025
Verb
Far from being a single unit, a family is a set of overlapping vectors, lines that cut across one another, making chaotic patterns, dense designs.
—Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
That range spans about 370 parts-per-billion between the various estimates, with some overlapping with Fermilab’s experimental data and others, particularly from the older R-ratio methods, disagreeing with Fermilab’s data at greater than the 5-sigma threshold.
—Big Think, 19 Mar. 2026
The remaining organizations fall into overlapping ideological categories.
—Asra Q. Nomani, FOXNews.com, 19 Mar. 2026
But Iglesias argued that, with their sales records and overlapping fan bases, the math would all work out.
—Todd Longwell, Variety, 18 Mar. 2026
Fold the overlapping plastic wrap over the cake and gently press on it to settle and even the cake.
—Mary Ann Esposito, Boston Herald, 18 Mar. 2026
After months of overlapping injuries, the Nuggets have missed the mark on David Adelman’s recent dream of playing the last 20 regular-season games at full health.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 16 Mar. 2026
To buy the company, Paramount is taking on $79 billion in debt, a massive amount that many in Hollywood expect will result in steep layoffs targeting overlapping functions and departments across the two companies.
—Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 2026
The cedar wood’s grains are enhanced with an overlapping cladding style build, and the shingled roof adds a storybook cottage feel.
—Shea Simmons, Southern Living, 14 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overlapping
Adjective
-
Meanwhile, the FedEx plane continued its landing on the intersecting runway.—
Sam Sweeney,
ABC News,
19 Mar. 2026
-
From orbit, the intersecting ridges resemble a massive spiderweb sprawled across the Martian surface.—
Samantha Mathewson,
Space.com,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The results are somewhat ambiguous as to how much ice may lurk unseen beneath layers of overlying ice-sparse material.—
K. R. Callaway,
Scientific American,
18 Mar. 2026
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However, those sea surface temperatures will be far warmer than the overlying air temperatures.—
Marshall Shepherd,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The underlying case against Comey has faced headwinds from the start.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
22 Mar. 2026
-
The physical structures may change, but the underlying strength of a community often becomes even more visible during times of adversity.—
Allen Buchanan,
Oc Register,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The sugar-white sand slopes into the bright blue waters, where swimmers relax in the gently lapping surf.—
Cailey Rizzo,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Mar. 2026
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That much was obvious at this stage of free agency, a frenzied sprint the Patriots often treated as the start of a marathon in the Belichick era before lapping the competition when the games started thanks in part to value signings.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Again, the superposed vector can be decomposed into its constituents.—
Anil Ananthaswamy,
Quanta Magazine,
13 Apr. 2023
-
Like entanglement, the superposed states essential to its power are fragile, collapsing when measured or otherwise perturbed by the outside world.—
Gabriel Popkin,
Science | AAAS,
3 June 2021
Verb
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As music played in the background, overlaying captions appeared on screen beside Bader, 30, who underwent bariatric surgery in December 2023.—
Zoey Lyttle,
PEOPLE,
3 Feb. 2026
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Trying to tap the ice sheet, which covers 80 percent of Greenland, for minerals is unappealing, given that all the necessary supplies would need to be brought inland by helicopter and there are kilometers of ice overlaying parts of the rock.—
Stephanie Pappas,
Scientific American,
23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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On curved surfaces, parallel trajectories intersect—liberation movements that appear separate on maps organized around Euroamerican centers were always convergent in Afro-Asian circuits.—
Anel Rakhimzhanova,
Artforum,
1 Mar. 2026
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This one being of post-war emancipation, when the convergent forces of wanting to achieve a sun tan and wanting to show some skin became newly acceptable among socially progressive young people.—
Daniel Rodgers,
Vogue,
28 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Overlapping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overlapping. Accessed 25 Mar. 2026.
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