overshadow

verb

ˌō-vər-ˈsha-(ˌ)dō How to pronounce overshadow (audio)
Definition of overshadownext
1
as in to obscure
to make dark, dim, or indistinct large trees overshadow the yard and darken the house for much of the day

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to outweigh
to be greater in importance than later you'll find that verbal skills overshadow any skills you have at video games

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 overshadow Protests began at some French schools last week but picked up Tuesday, with violent scenes overshadowing a nationwide day of protests by unions, workers and students against the upcoming government budget. — Joseph Ataman, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026 The Jets’ 1-2 record has overshadowed something their fans have rarely seen over the past decade, a productive offense. — Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 1 Oct. 2026 Instead, they were overshadowed by Sonos’s disastrous app redesign. — John Higgins, The Verge, 30 Sep. 2026 Time after time, any benefits resulting from these projects were consistently overshadowed by the massive costs to the public. — Abigail Hall, The Conversation, 29 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for overshadow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overshadow
  1. obscure
  2. outweigh
  3. darken
  4. blur
  5. blacken
Verb
  • Aggregate data can obscure radically different labor market realities, and monetary policy calibrated only to the aggregate can miss the productive capacity sitting beneath it.
    — Katica Roy, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Racing on Crait kicks up those vibrant red dust clouds, which obscure the view of other racers and can even slow them down.
    — Hayes Madsen, Space.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of obscure
Verb
  • If a community decides the potential benefits of such a project (jobs and reduced taxes, for example) outweigh its costs, the municipality should be able to move forward.
    — Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 2 Oct. 2026
  • For a smaller carrier without the scale to justify a dedicated integration team, that discipline can outweigh the benefit, at least until the next major platform change is already on the horizon.
    — Sanchet Pachpute, Forbes.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of outweigh
Verb
  • In its latest incarnation, designed by the firm S9, the curtain wall has darkened and the electronic billboards brightened, so that the tower resembles a TV mount, more apparatus than architecture.
    — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Verity is immobile and catatonic, and Lowen learns that the family’s life is also darkened by a child’s accidental death.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of darken
Verb
  • But even with 22 tracks to work with, the sound too often defaults to a similar muted backdrop, which blurs some of the less distinct songs together.
    — Molly Mary O’Brien, Pitchfork, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The move into podcasting marks another expansion for MasterClass, which has increasingly blurred the lines between online education and entertainment.
    — Anna Tingley, Variety, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of blur
Verb
  • Footage shot later at daybreak showed the house gutted, charred and blackened from the inside out.
    — Zeena Saifi, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Lines at Russian gas stations, crippled refineries, and images of burning oil depots blackening the sky lent credence to the narrative, as did blackouts and fuel shortages in Crimea.
    — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of blacken

Browse Nearby Words

oversexed
overshadow
overshadowed
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Overshadow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overshadow. Accessed 8 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 etiquette

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
name tags
Words Named After People Quiz Find out who’s behind "leotard," "morphine," an...
See All