1
as in coating
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
Relevance
2
as in overlapping
to lie over parts of one another
cedar shingles overlaying one another on the roof
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in underlying
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
as in overlying
Related Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of overlaying
Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Noun
Other new features include Luma Key, a filter video based on brightness values that removes black backgrounds from input sources and is suitable for overlaying lower thirds, titles, logos and animations.
—Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overlaying
Verb
-
Applicators infiltrated cities across the nation, coating the chemical on street trees, parks and front lawns.—
Sophie Hartley,
IndyStar,
3 Sep. 2025
-
The balanced fruitiness and mild acidity cut through the richness, while a creamy, buttery mouthfeel provides richness and a mouth-coating texture.—
Joseph V Micallef,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Meanwhile, Mazraoui’s overlapping run prevents Phil Foden from committing to Amad, who is left totally free.—
Ahmed Walid,
New York Times,
4 Sep. 2025
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Lockheed Martin describes this flexibility as central to the missile’s role in layered defense, where different platforms provide overlapping protection against a broad range of threats.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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In some cases, excessive howling can also be a sign of an underlying health issue, especially if it's accompanied by other changes in behavior, appetite, or energy levels.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Sep. 2025
-
His annoyed expression when your protagonist asks to use the phone will have some underlying reason behind it.—
JD Barker,
Rolling Stone,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Welcome to Path to Playoff, the USA TODAY Sports newsletter covering all things college football and the chase for this year's national championship.—
Erick Smith,
USA Today,
8 Sep. 2025
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While the negative human-health effects of smoke from the Glass Fire have been well documented, the toxic brown blanket covering the Napa Valley is also devastating bee populations, said local beekeeper John Sevigny.—
Ethan Baron,
Mercury News,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Earth’s substantial atmosphere and geomagnetic field block most (but not all) of this bombardment, and the sunless interiors of worlds without these properties still get protection from overlying material.—
Emma R. Hasson,
Scientific American,
17 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Again, the superposed vector can be decomposed into its constituents.—
Anil Ananthaswamy,
Quanta Magazine,
13 Apr. 2023
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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
Cite this Entry
“Overlaying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overlaying. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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