as in prolonged
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Recent Examples of overlong
Some unnecessary, overlong scenes do drag, allowing the audience to get sidetracked.
—
Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 6 May 2026
This solid, slightly-overlong watch is best at capturing how time and trauma turn daily life into valuable history.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026
For instance, while most of the movie is about the title character, a 34-year-old lieutenant governor played by Emma Mackey, there is an overlong subplot about Ella’s younger brother, Casey (Spike Fearn), that encapsulates the tonal dysfunction of the movie.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 12 Dec. 2025
Musically, Swift’s pivot toward concision feels like a response to claims that her last album was repetitive and overlong.
—Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 3 Oct. 2025
Their new collaboration is more satisfying than that uneven and overlong puzzle box, not to mention more readily coherent as a narrative.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2025
Yet the historical resonance falls flat amid the film’s overlong runtime, unlikable characters and shaky accents that most actors stumble in and out of.
—Itzel Luna, Boston Herald, 22 Aug. 2025
That's not inherently a bad choice, but in this instance the overarching story feels both overlong and underwhelming as tiny pieces of the narrative are introduced without being fully explained.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 7 Apr. 2025
And Dorian, despite the visual inventiveness on display, does go a bit overboard and overlong at times, particularly in a late, extended scene that makes use of pre-recorded outdoor footage that allows more than one Snook to race through a forest.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 27 Mar. 2025
Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 6 May 2026
This solid, slightly-overlong watch is best at capturing how time and trauma turn daily life into valuable history.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026
For instance, while most of the movie is about the title character, a 34-year-old lieutenant governor played by Emma Mackey, there is an overlong subplot about Ella’s younger brother, Casey (Spike Fearn), that encapsulates the tonal dysfunction of the movie.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 12 Dec. 2025
Musically, Swift’s pivot toward concision feels like a response to claims that her last album was repetitive and overlong.
—Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 3 Oct. 2025
Their new collaboration is more satisfying than that uneven and overlong puzzle box, not to mention more readily coherent as a narrative.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2025
Yet the historical resonance falls flat amid the film’s overlong runtime, unlikable characters and shaky accents that most actors stumble in and out of.
—Itzel Luna, Boston Herald, 22 Aug. 2025
That's not inherently a bad choice, but in this instance the overarching story feels both overlong and underwhelming as tiny pieces of the narrative are introduced without being fully explained.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 7 Apr. 2025
And Dorian, despite the visual inventiveness on display, does go a bit overboard and overlong at times, particularly in a late, extended scene that makes use of pre-recorded outdoor footage that allows more than one Snook to race through a forest.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 27 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overlong
Adjective
-
For Knicks fans, the half century since those two titles has been a prolonged excruciation with intermittent periods of thwarted hope.—
David Remnick,
New Yorker,
30 May 2026
-
Placing foods in plastic containers that are still hot, using containers for an prolonged period and exposing it repeatedly to the dishwasher can all lead to the release of chemicals.—
Gavin Escott,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
Adjective
-
The errand conveniently provided the opportunity for a longish highway test of Lexus’ newest luxury people-mover.—
Sponsored Content,
Denver Post,
21 Mar. 2026
-
When the front door opens, they’re greeted by an androgynous person with longish hair, thick eyebrows and a deep voice.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
2 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Two people with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press that the four-time NFL MVP agreed to a one-year deal to return to the Steelers on Saturday, ending a protracted decision-making process.—
Will Graves,
Chicago Tribune,
17 May 2026
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Two people with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press that the four-time NFL MVP agreed to a one-year deal to return to Pittsburgh on Saturday, ending a protracted decision-making process.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 May 2026
Adjective
-
Like a bright headlight facing you dead on or the sudden honk of a loud horn, only the jump scares keep you from falling asleep during the seemingly interminable Passenger.—
Frank Scheck,
HollywoodReporter,
22 May 2026
-
Little happens other than chain-smoking, costume changes and interminable shots of color-shifting strobe lighting splaying across the cast’s cheekbones.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
19 May 2026
Adjective
-
In the years since the band came together to challenge country radio’s persistent gender imbalance, there has been some significant headway.—
Marissa R. Moss,
Rolling Stone,
2 June 2026
-
Since the initiative began, more than 200,000 children have moved out of poverty, but food insecurity remains a persistent challenge.—
Sky Beard,
Sun Sentinel,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
However, a lot of companies continue to use outdated customer service techniques that result in lengthy wait times and generic answers.—
Dr. Bin Tang,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
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In a lengthy statement responding to the lawsuit, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, said that no one at the Camp East Montana facility is denied access to medical care.—
Laura Romero,
ABC News,
1 June 2026
Adjective
-
Acclaim for the retinol body lotion is virtually endless, and more than 10,000 shoppers have given the cream a perfect five-star rating.—
Sophie Wirt,
InStyle,
29 May 2026
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But the lake that emerged was not a broad recreational basin with endless waterfront to parcel and sell.—
Spencer Elliott,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overlong.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overlong. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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