overrules

verb

present tense third-person singular of overrule
as in rejects
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.

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar 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 overrules That order could keep the merger on pause indefinitely while the litigation moves forward, which means it could be paused for years, unless an appeals court overrules her. — Alison Durkee, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026 Whatever that might be in people’s minds, then that’s going to be an impressive government that comes down and overrules that connection that people have with whatever the highest government is in their mind. — Torie Bosch, STAT, 6 June 2026 Accessibility Although there are areas where design overrules function, the majority of the resort meets ADA standards with ramps and wheelchair-friendly pathways. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 May 2026 Echoing a common theme from older participants, Kelle Phillips said Trump’s decision was a pragmatic reaction to a real threat that overrules the best hopes of campaign rhetoric. — Thomas Beaumont, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2026 The appellate court's decision overrules a lower court judge who refused to dismiss Gary's lawsuit last year, leading gun manufacturers to appeal. — Jordan Smith, IndyStar, 29 Dec. 2025 The legislation, Senate Bill (SB) 79, overrules local zoning to boost development in busy areas of the Golden State, allowing developers to build tall apartment and condo buildings of up to nine stories in single-family areas near certain transit stops. — Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Oct. 2025 The decision overrules a lower court's decision that had blocked USAID cuts. — Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overrules
  1. rejects
  2. dismisses
  3. denies
  4. refuses
  5. ignores
Verb
  • Fox calls the deaths tragic but rejects responsibility Covering any armed conflict by definition involves peril.
    — David Folkenflik, NPR, 4 Oct. 2026
  • The series backs up 25 years to a Connecticut farm where father Cyrus Trask (Tracy Letts), a peg-legged Civil War veteran, rejects Charles’ gift of a new knife in favor of Adam’s present of a stray puppy, creating a long trail of jealousy.
    — Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of rejects
Verb
  • If your team is afraid to name real weaknesses, or if leadership dismisses uncomfortable truths, the analysis won’t do what it’s meant to do.
    — Nancy Padberg, Forbes.com, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Risks, but not existential ones Not everyone dismisses the risk quite so bluntly, though.
    — Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of dismisses
Verb
  • One denies bond hearings to people who entered the country illegally and may be deported.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2026
  • The owner of the gas station where investigators say Robert Strang bought synthetic kratom denies that the pills found near the student's body came from his store.
    — Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of denies
Verb
  • Even so, the 55-year-old refuses to talk about who could run Octopus after him, even with his board.
    — Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Aron refuses to forgive Adam for his lies about his mother, signs up for the Great War, and goes to his death.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of refuses
Verb
  • But that ignores the fact that most political rules continue to apply.
    — Nathan Gonzales CQ-Roll Call, Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Cyrus ignores the correction and later bristles when Adam decides to extend his military service for another five years.
    — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of ignores

Browse Nearby Words

overruled
overrules
overruling
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Overrules.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overrules. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of inscrutable

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All