as in overlaying
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1
as in overlapping
to lie over parts of one another
the puzzle pieces overlay one another in complete disarray on the floor
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in coating
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
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Recent Examples of overlying
Phil Plait, Scientific American, 27 Nov. 2025
Verb
But clever techniques can work around this limitation, including adaptive optics, which rapidly reshapes a mirror in the telescope to counter the motion of overlying air.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 27 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overlying
Verb
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Over time, beauty and wellness have become increasingly intertwined, evolving into complementary and overlapping categories.—
Clara Ludmir,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
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The proposal cited two reports that bemoaned the multiple, often overlapping and sometimes competitive, state and local entities that govern the schools.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Cromogenia Units has over 85 years of experience providing solutions for textile preparation, dyeing, finishing and coating such as anti-pilling and water and oil repellent treatments.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
23 Jan. 2026
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The shortbread cookies featured a series of Girl Scout messages embossed on top and had a rich fudge coating on the bottom.—
Kaycee Sloan,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
16 Jan. 2026
Verb
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First District Legislator Manny Abarca is sponsoring a piece of legislation calling for law enforcement officers in Jackson County — including federal immigration officers — to be prohibited from covering their faces or badges while on the job.—
Ilana Arougheti,
Kansas City Star,
13 Jan. 2026
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Jackson Thompson is a sports reporter for Fox News Digital covering critical political and cultural issues in sports, with an investigative lens.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Trying to tap the ice sheet, which covers 80 percent of Greenland, for minerals is unappealing, given that all the necessary supplies would need to be brought inland by helicopter and there are kilometers of ice overlaying parts of the rock.—
Stephanie Pappas,
Scientific American,
23 Jan. 2026
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The only thing Bloom didn't show on camera were the stocks her husband, David Pownall, purchased for her, as the content creator noted in overlaying text at the beginning of the video.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
26 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Overlying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overlying. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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