1
as in to coat
to form a layer over
you should apply a coat of primer first, and then overlay it with two coats of paint
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in to overlap
to lie over parts of one another
cedar shingles overlaying one another on the roof
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of overlay
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
Last month, the agency posted an image of ICE agents, overlaid with VHS text and a glitchy filter—two characteristics of fashwave memes.
—Ali Breland, The Atlantic, 21 Jan. 2026
The researchers overlay all the data, and then send it to 400 other scientists, water managers, and other experts around the country who critique it and comment on it internally before the map is published.
—Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 15 Jan. 2026
Her silver mesh frock was overlaid with crystals.
—Hannah Malach, InStyle, 30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overlay
Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 23 Jan. 2026
Last month, the agency posted an image of ICE agents, overlaid with VHS text and a glitchy filter—two characteristics of fashwave memes.
—Ali Breland, The Atlantic, 21 Jan. 2026
The researchers overlay all the data, and then send it to 400 other scientists, water managers, and other experts around the country who critique it and comment on it internally before the map is published.
—Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 15 Jan. 2026
Her silver mesh frock was overlaid with crystals.
—Hannah Malach, InStyle, 30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overlay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overlay
Verb
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Beyond cost and cleanliness In conventional battery production, active materials, carbon additives and binders are mixed into a wet slurry, coated onto metal foil and dried.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
19 Feb. 2026
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Dip each marshmallow in butter, then in the cinnamon sugar mixture to coat.—
Sarah Martens,
Better Homes & Gardens,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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At times, his social role will overlap with that of other weight-room regulars, not least of which is the gym grandpa, who hangs around and shoots the breeze and doles out tips on how to lift.—
Daniel Engber,
The Atlantic,
20 Feb. 2026
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The dual credential places her at the center of two legal disciplines that rarely overlap, yet increasingly intersect in modern family disputes.—
Daniel Fusch,
USA Today,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The debate over what the statute covers is playing out in the streets, with videos showing arguments between observers and federal agents about what conduct is legal and what isn’t.—
Isabelle Chapman,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
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Bishop Joseph Williams of the Diocese of Camden, covering southern New Jersey and its Philadelphia suburbs, announced the settlement Tuesday in a letter.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Reroll the dough sheets away from you into cylinders and loosely pinch them closed.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
31 Dec. 2025
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Save your time and check out the most popular coffee makers, electric toothbrushes, and sheets our readers are loving, just in time for gift-giving season.—
Jacqueline Tempera,
PEOPLE,
9 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Overlay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overlay. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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