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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of overlying
Marshall Shepherd, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
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
Verb
However, those sea surface temperatures will be far warmer than the overlying air temperatures.
—Marshall Shepherd, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
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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Chitons belong to the class Polyplacophora, a group of marine mollusks — distant relatives of snails, clams, and octopuses — distinguished by a series of overlapping shell plates running down their backs.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
3 Mar. 2026
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Chitons are distant relatives of snails, clams, and octopuses, distinguished by overlapping shell plates running down their backs.—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The sauce hit that comforting sweet spot of salty and gooey, coating each noodle with a subtle nutty note that blander versions lacked.—
Sam Stone,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Add 1 tablespoon of the remaining olive oil to the bowl and stir in the carrots, coating them well.—
Mary Ann Esposito,
Boston Herald,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The trumpet creeper climbs by aerial roots to heights of 30 to 40 feet and will grow in the most challenging spots, covering an ugly wall, fence, or other structure in one growing season.—
Zoe Gowen,
Southern Living,
8 Mar. 2026
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Taking a job with the post office to support his growing family, Mosley in the 1950s worked side gigs writing for the Pittsburgh Courier and for the magazines Ebony, Sepia, and Jet, covering jazz and sports.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
As music played in the background, overlaying captions appeared on screen beside Bader, 30, who underwent bariatric surgery in December 2023.—
Zoey Lyttle,
PEOPLE,
3 Feb. 2026
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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
Cite this Entry
“Overlying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overlying. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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