as in rejected
to decide that (something or someone) is wrong; to rule against (something or someone)
The judge overruled the objection. His conviction was overruled by the supreme court.
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Recent Examples of overruled
The watcher overruled the watched.
—
Dara-Abasi Ita, Forbes.com, 13 June 2026
The jury that presided over his criminal case voted 7-2 for Lee to receive a lifetime prison sentence rather than face the death penalty, but the trial judge overruled them.
—CBS News, 12 June 2026
In a statement the legal team for Lee, 49, hailed the decision and noted that his jury had voted for a sentence of life, which a judge overruled.
—Kim Chandler, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2026
The decision essentially overruled the NCAA, which had deemed Sorsby permanently ineligible for committing thousands of gambling violations, including betting on his own team while attending Indiana in 2022.
—Justin Williams, New York Times, 12 June 2026
At one point, Chesser claimed a Mecklenburg County social services employee called for Moody to be removed from the home but was overruled by a supervisor.
—Mary Ramsey
june 4, Charlotte Observer, 4 June 2026
The federal appeals court overruled their 2020 ban by saying the agency didn’t have the proper authority to make that decision.
—O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 1 June 2026
Democrats were dealt another blow on Friday when the Virginia Supreme Court overruled a referendum that voters narrowly approved in April to alter their congressional map, which could have sent up to four additional Democratic members to Congress.
—Davis Giangiulio, CNBC, 11 May 2026
Makary and his deputies have also regularly overruled career staff, often with nakedly political motives.
—Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic, 10 May 2026
Dara-Abasi Ita, Forbes.com, 13 June 2026
The jury that presided over his criminal case voted 7-2 for Lee to receive a lifetime prison sentence rather than face the death penalty, but the trial judge overruled them.
—CBS News, 12 June 2026
In a statement the legal team for Lee, 49, hailed the decision and noted that his jury had voted for a sentence of life, which a judge overruled.
—Kim Chandler, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2026
The decision essentially overruled the NCAA, which had deemed Sorsby permanently ineligible for committing thousands of gambling violations, including betting on his own team while attending Indiana in 2022.
—Justin Williams, New York Times, 12 June 2026
At one point, Chesser claimed a Mecklenburg County social services employee called for Moody to be removed from the home but was overruled by a supervisor.
—Mary Ramsey
june 4, Charlotte Observer, 4 June 2026
The federal appeals court overruled their 2020 ban by saying the agency didn’t have the proper authority to make that decision.
—O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 1 June 2026
Democrats were dealt another blow on Friday when the Virginia Supreme Court overruled a referendum that voters narrowly approved in April to alter their congressional map, which could have sent up to four additional Democratic members to Congress.
—Davis Giangiulio, CNBC, 11 May 2026
Makary and his deputies have also regularly overruled career staff, often with nakedly political motives.
—Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic, 10 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overruled
Verb
-
Officials in Hood County, Texas, for example, rejected a proposal for a six-month moratorium after a state senator urged the Texas attorney general to intervene and prevent the measure.—
Rachel Mural,
The Conversation,
18 June 2026
-
New Delhi, however, rejected the claim, insisting the ceasefire was the result of direct bilateral talks with Pakistan.—
Kyra Colah,
FOXNews.com,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
In a 55-page decision, a superior court judge has dismissed significant portions of a lawsuit filed by the former Chief Human Resources Officer of Boston Water and Sewer, including all claims against the Herald, alleging she was fired as part of a wide-ranging conspiracy.—
Flint McColgan,
Boston Herald,
14 June 2026
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All of which spilled into public view at the City Council meeting, with commissioners claiming that, after numerous meetings, the mayor’s office dismissed their concerns and recommendations for this particular reappointment to the board.—
Denise Crosby,
Chicago Tribune,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
The guilty plea was a stunning reversal for Heuermann who, according to his lawyer, tearfully denied being responsible for the killings after his arrest in 2023.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
-
The court filings said that Roa denied any involvement in the conspiracy.—
Richard Winton,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
Verb
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One, Sam Hentges, apparently refused to wear it at all, appearing in the traditional cap the Giants wear the other 161 games.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
19 June 2026
-
Sojourner Truth refused to be defined by the stereotypes society tried to construct about her.—
Jocelyn Frye,
The Orlando Sentinel,
19 June 2026
Verb
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For the past five years, Juneteenth has been recognized as a federal holiday, encouraging people across the country to reflect not only on the nation's tangled past with slavery, but the wider legacy of forgotten, ignored and intentionally buried stories about Black America.—
Drew Pittock,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
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Against such seismic personal developments, the simultaneous grown and depletion of White Rock and its environs happen at a far more gradual pace, but don’t go ignored by Choijoovanchig and his patient camera.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
18 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overruled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overruled. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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