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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of overly
Our systems are overly complex, spanning hundreds of dependencies, which hinders our ability to move fast.
—
Jennifer Maas, Variety, 10 June 2026
Wedges—both classic and sculptural—nod to the aughts without feeling overly familiar, while thong silhouettes take on a more elaborate, colorful form.
—Cortne Bonilla, Vogue, 9 June 2026
The administration investigated Chicago Public Schools and withheld more than $20 million when the district refused to end its Black Student Success Program, which aims to increase access to advanced coursework for Black students and reduce overly harsh discipline.
—Annie Ma, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2026
In my experience, some Americans with an overly keen interest in English aristocratic traditions seem motivated by disdain for their fellow citizens who are not descended from white Europeans.
—Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for overly
Jennifer Maas, Variety, 10 June 2026
Wedges—both classic and sculptural—nod to the aughts without feeling overly familiar, while thong silhouettes take on a more elaborate, colorful form.
—Cortne Bonilla, Vogue, 9 June 2026
The administration investigated Chicago Public Schools and withheld more than $20 million when the district refused to end its Black Student Success Program, which aims to increase access to advanced coursework for Black students and reduce overly harsh discipline.
—Annie Ma, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2026
In my experience, some Americans with an overly keen interest in English aristocratic traditions seem motivated by disdain for their fellow citizens who are not descended from white Europeans.
—Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for overly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overly
Adverb
-
He’s been working hard with the pitching guys too.—
Jeff Fletcher,
Oc Register,
11 June 2026
-
On public safety, Raman said city leaders have focused too heavily on increasing police staffing without doing enough to reduce demands on officers through alternative response programs.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
11 June 2026
Adverb
-
The doctor intentionally left the remainder of the tumor as a precaution against possible brain damage due to excessively invasive surgery.—
Scott M. Reid,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
-
Again, this is very Yellowstone for Rip to have an excessively violent response to an irritating obstacle.—
Noel Murray,
Vulture,
29 May 2026
Adverb
-
Our task, in the year of the United States’ two-hundred-and-fiftieth birthday, is to deprovincialize the Revolution, without unduly deprecating its originality.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
8 June 2026
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The local officials argued that the state law unduly limits law enforcement officers’ discretion when crime victims apply for what is known as a U visa, a visa set aside for non-citizen victims of crime who cooperate with law enforcement and meet other conditions.—
Shelly Bradbury,
Denver Post,
3 June 2026
Adverb
-
According to Outword Magazine Fred Palmer, the owner of Scott’s, Alan Irvine, is extremely gay supportive and has hosted numerous events for both Outword and the Rainbow Chamber of Commerce (see below).—
Sean Timberlake,
Sacbee.com,
12 June 2026
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The whole episode is a reminder to product designers everywhere that users can be extremely sensitive to the seemingly smallest changes — and Spotify clearly had not anticipated that a teeny-tiny disco ball drop would prove to be unpopular.—
Todd Spangler,
Variety,
12 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overly. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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