1
as in to overlap
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 to coat
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
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Recent Examples of overlie
That heat is left over from the planet’s formation and is sustained by radioactive decay and pressure from the overlying layers.
—
Jake Parks, Discover Magazine, 9 July 2025
Geologists have long suspected that Afar is underlain by a mantle plume, a pillar of upwelling hot material that is helping to drive apart the overlying crust.
—Ian Randall, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 June 2025
This finding indicates that the ecosystem was no longer being sustained by the nutrients from the hydrothermal system being released into the overlying ocean.
—David Bressan, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
Mantle plumes are convectional upwellings of hot material from the deep mantle that can cause localized melting and deformations to the overlying crust.
—New Atlas, 19 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overlie
Jake Parks, Discover Magazine, 9 July 2025
Geologists have long suspected that Afar is underlain by a mantle plume, a pillar of upwelling hot material that is helping to drive apart the overlying crust.
—Ian Randall, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 June 2025
This finding indicates that the ecosystem was no longer being sustained by the nutrients from the hydrothermal system being released into the overlying ocean.
—David Bressan, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
Mantle plumes are convectional upwellings of hot material from the deep mantle that can cause localized melting and deformations to the overlying crust.
—New Atlas, 19 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overlie
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overlie
Verb
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These overlapping vulnerabilities show why water governance is such a key issue for security, diplomacy and development.—
Pintu Kumar Mahla,
The Conversation,
3 Nov. 2025
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The single artwork features an image of Duff overlapped three times, with the title written in pink.—
Angie Martoccio,
Rolling Stone,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Your glass tabletops, windows, and mirrors may look worse after cleaning them thanks to the dull film coating their surface.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
5 Nov. 2025
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Dip the apple into the liquid candy and rotate it to coat evenly.—
Cody Godwin,
USA Today,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Be sure to cover your head and neck with your arms, and crawl under a sturdy table if possible.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
6 Nov. 2025
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The $155,000 figure was within a range covered by insurance, and FBI investigators found that no individual donor funds were diverted before they were deposited into the Bright Futures Fund, Johnston wrote.—
Nathan Pilling,
Kansas City Star,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Overlie.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overlie. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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