overlying 1 of 2

noun

as in overlaying

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overlying

2 of 2

verb

present participle of overlie
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

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of overlying
Verb
Any longer may damage your overlying skin and even give you frostbite. — Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026 The local agricultural cooperative now struggles given the absence of irrigated agriculture in that area overlying the Ogallala. — Allen Best, Denver Post, 14 June 2026 The results are somewhat ambiguous as to how much ice may lurk unseen beneath layers of overlying ice-sparse material. — K. R. Callaway, Scientific American, 18 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overlying
  1. overlapping
  2. coating
  3. covering
  4. overlaying
Verb
  • Whether through underlapping runs, overlapping ones, creating chances or popping up with crucial goals, the impact of Marc Cucurella and Pedro Porro has been notable when the Spanish have gone forward.
    — Mark Carey, New York Times, 18 July 2026
  • The buzzy summer dating show and the quadrennial global sports tournament both overperformed among the under-30 crowd, according to internal audience data obtained from the streamer, with the audiences for the two events overlapping significantly.
    — Josef Adalian, Vulture, 17 July 2026
Definition of overlapping
Verb
  • Handle heavy pans like cast-iron gently to keep them from banging on the grates and avoid chipping their enamel coating.
    — Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 12 July 2026
  • But the real pleasure is the 303 basslines that squirm in between the drums, coating the soundscapes of the tracks in grime and noxious soot.
    — Andrew Ryce, Pitchfork, 1 July 2026
Definition of coating
Verb
  • Maryland’s biggest grant program is generous, covering full financial need for students, up to $18,000 a year.
    — Jay A. Perman, Baltimore Sun, 18 July 2026
  • But one of the joys of covering this World Cup has been speaking to women who love soccer.
    — Jasmine Garsd, NPR, 18 July 2026
Definition of covering
Verb
  • In Modrić and Haaland’s cases, some do this by overlaying bows and hearts on their images.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 July 2026
  • For that, organizers turn to the same technology used when Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya broke the two-hour-marathon barrier in 2019, overlaying data onto potential routes to find the optimal one.
    — Liam Tharme, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Definition of overlaying

Browse Nearby Words

overly
overlying
overmaster
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Cite this Entry

“Overlying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overlying. Accessed 19 Jul. 2026.

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