as in too
beyond a normal or acceptable limit
there's no need to be overly careful about the rough draft, since we'll polish it afterwards
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of overly
That first episode suffers from the need to do so much heavy lifting and feels both overstuffed and overly conventional, but once all the pieces are in place, the show relaxes into itself and its actual voice emerges.
—
Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 2 Nov. 2025
People with excellent credit are often overly fearful about closing credit cards.
—Liz Weston, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Nov. 2025
The material should be damp but not overly wet.
—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 1 Nov. 2025
Rather than being stressed or overly anxious, Klaus quickly became playful and confident.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overly
Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 2 Nov. 2025
People with excellent credit are often overly fearful about closing credit cards.
—Liz Weston, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Nov. 2025
The material should be damp but not overly wet.
—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 1 Nov. 2025
Rather than being stressed or overly anxious, Klaus quickly became playful and confident.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overly
Adverb
-
The event’s attendees want in on the action, too.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
9 Nov. 2025
-
The Spartans got the last laugh for now, too, taking both games.—
Scott Wheeler,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
Adverb
-
Hoka Men’s Arahi 7 Running Shoes Made with a plush tongue and a design that prevents your foot from rolling excessively inward, the Arahi 7s is perfect for people who overpronate.—
Jasmine Gomez,
Travel + Leisure,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Anyone who brags excessively about his or her offspring on social media will immediately be incarcerated for at least a week.—
Marla Jo Fisher,
Oc Register,
22 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
The Cleveland ensemble thrives on this chamber-style approach, which enhances inner voices without emphasizing them unduly.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
21 Oct. 2025
-
Baird believes that shares of Zions Bancorp have been unduly punished.—
Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
17 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
In extremely dense fog where visibility is near zero, the best course of action is to first turn on your hazard lights, then simply pull into a safe location such as a parking lot of a local business, and stop.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Nineteenth-century reporters could be extremely casual with facts and guessed at the spelling of names.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Overly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overly. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
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