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
Relevance
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
as in overlaying
Related Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of overlying
Emma R. Hasson, Scientific American, 17 Aug. 2025
Noun
Earth’s substantial atmosphere and geomagnetic field block most (but not all) of this bombardment, and the sunless interiors of worlds without these properties still get protection from overlying material.
—Emma R. Hasson, Scientific American, 17 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overlying
Verb
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The songs tend to be three different love stories, with overlapping narrators stepping on each other’s toes.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
16 Oct. 2025
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Preller and Hundley missed overlapping in San Diego by just a couple months.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Floodwaters there also left a black, oily residue believed to have come from nearby oil and gas installations, coating trees and rooftops.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
14 Oct. 2025
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Beyond cost, the study offers a new paradigm in catalyst engineering, stabilizing materials from within rather than coating them for protection.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Gibson recalls how the original idea was to create a pre-colonial film or series first, covering different narratives about largely obscure figures from across Africa.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
12 Oct. 2025
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Jacoby Easter led the team with 47 rushing yards, while Portley finished with three touchdowns on just three carries covering nine yards.—
Jordan Neal,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Podlesí is notorious for its boring atmosphere, overlaying everything like a thick blanket.—
Zuzana Říhová,
Literary Hub,
26 Sep. 2025
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Last year at Connect, Meta unveiled its Orion glasses, which are a prototype capable of overlaying complex 3D visuals onto the physical world.—
Jonathan Vanian,
CNBC,
20 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Overlying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overlying. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.
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