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

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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 But in the general election, even AIPAC has been overshadowed by the GOP’s big-business donors, many of them in tech, who have given Republicans a historic spending advantage in this year’s contests. — Caitlin Dewey, Vox, 22 Oct. 2026 Compact digital cameras are back, too, with younger consumers embracing devices once overshadowed by smartphone photography. — Ashley Lynch, Kansas City Star, 21 Oct. 2026 Within the 2026 Curated Beauty Advent Calendar, Free People also shines a spotlight on its in-house beauty line, which is often overshadowed by the company’s bohemian-and-beloved apparel. — Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 21 Oct. 2026 Tensions in the street are contributing to fractious politics ahead of a presidential race overshadowed by debt that will determine Emmanuel Macron’s successor. — Ellen Francis, Washington Post, 20 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for overshadow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overshadow
  1. obscure
  2. outweigh
  3. darken
  4. blur
  5. blacken
Verb
  • But take a walk inside and the ground is laden with faint slabs of rock, gravestones from a centuries-old Indigenous family cemetery that had been obscured by the passage of time and neglect.
    — Jason Motlagh, Rolling Stone, 22 Oct. 2026
  • However, any potential signal is expected to be faint and can be obscured by cosmic variance, the statistical uncertainty that arises when observations cover only a finite portion of the universe.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of obscure
Verb
  • Will those risks outweigh the benefits, especially with extremely low early-stage detection for prostate, breast, ovarian, skin, and inadequate evidence of accuracy for many other cancers?
    — Torie Bosch, STAT, 24 Oct. 2026
  • For the average family, a steady paycheck remains the single most impactful financial asset, outweighing market movements.
    — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of outweigh
Verb
  • Abdalla’s fall refresh enhances her brunette base by darkening her roots and replacing those golden ribbons with warm brunette tones for lived-in dimension.
    — Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Instead, the surrounding sky darkens, increasing the contrast until the pale daytime moon seems to switch on at dusk and grow increasingly brilliant.
    — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of darken
Verb
  • Scientists have been able to measure quantum effects in larger and more complex systems and over great distances, blurring the line once thought to separate the scale of observer and observed.
    — Philipp Strasberg, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The distinction between entertainment platforms and traditional media is becoming increasingly blurred.
    — Victoria Usher, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of blur
Verb
  • As the balloon and its occupants fell to the ground, the nylon envelope and the gondola separated, and the wreckage scattered over a roughly 100-yard area, parts of it blackened by the explosion and resulting fire.
    — Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 21 Oct. 2026
  • The shrinking process had exaggerated some features, vanished others, and blackened the flesh.
    — Daniel Barnum, Longreads, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of blacken

Browse Nearby Words

oversexed
overshadow
overshadowed
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Cite this Entry

“Overshadow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overshadow. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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