1
as in obscuring
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 outweighing
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 overshadowing
Olive, black, and burgundy can all work well, provided that no one color is overshadowing another—and that the overall effect is cohesive lengthening instead of disjointed.
—
Katherine J Igoe, InStyle, 5 June 2026
That put to rest any possible scenario where a president who has built his personal and political persona on seizing the spotlight might cede the stage to avoid overshadowing a national celebration bigger than himself.
—ABC News, 3 June 2026
The match turned into something of a circus, overshadowing Naomi Osaka’s breakthrough triumph at a major.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 1 June 2026
Coulter became a lightning rod for the evening, ultimately overshadowing Lowe at his own roast.
—Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 23 May 2026
Dory Sign, however, is a reminder of how technology can improve something as simple as a sign without overshadowing the product’s most basic purpose, which in this case is effective and delightful communication.
—ArsTechnica, 18 May 2026
The Deb dispute is playing out across different fronts in Los Angeles and Australia, overshadowing the feel-good movie about outback teens attending a debutante ball.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 28 Apr. 2026
Shares fell nearly 6% after GE Aerospace lowered its flight departure outlook, overshadowing a beat on Q1 earnings and revenue.
—Sarah Min,fred Imbert, CNBC, 21 Apr. 2026
Her worst outcome is that a valid grievance begins to look like an all-consuming battle, with aggression overshadowing principle and the fight itself becoming the story.
—Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 7 Apr. 2026
Katherine J Igoe, InStyle, 5 June 2026
That put to rest any possible scenario where a president who has built his personal and political persona on seizing the spotlight might cede the stage to avoid overshadowing a national celebration bigger than himself.
—ABC News, 3 June 2026
The match turned into something of a circus, overshadowing Naomi Osaka’s breakthrough triumph at a major.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 1 June 2026
Coulter became a lightning rod for the evening, ultimately overshadowing Lowe at his own roast.
—Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 23 May 2026
Dory Sign, however, is a reminder of how technology can improve something as simple as a sign without overshadowing the product’s most basic purpose, which in this case is effective and delightful communication.
—ArsTechnica, 18 May 2026
The Deb dispute is playing out across different fronts in Los Angeles and Australia, overshadowing the feel-good movie about outback teens attending a debutante ball.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 28 Apr. 2026
Shares fell nearly 6% after GE Aerospace lowered its flight departure outlook, overshadowing a beat on Q1 earnings and revenue.
—Sarah Min,fred Imbert, CNBC, 21 Apr. 2026
Her worst outcome is that a valid grievance begins to look like an all-consuming battle, with aggression overshadowing principle and the fight itself becoming the story.
—Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 7 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overshadowing
Verb
-
Da Messina’s Annunciation famously excises the angel Gabriel, while Ghirri’s version further edits the event by also obscuring the Virgin herself.—
James Quandt,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
-
The expression is aged in oak long enough to round the spirit without obscuring its herbal, earthy core.—
Joseph V Micallef,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
But that point has not been reached and although markets are being led by a small number of stocks, the positive news flow for those companies is outweighing uncertainty for other sectors like consumer stocks.—
Chloe Taylor,
CNBC,
7 June 2026
-
The market is doing the Fed’s job Kevin Warsh’s argument for an ultimately lower Fed funds rate may rely on the notion that financial conditions are likely to tighten further on the long end of the yield curve—far outweighing any nips to the base rate the central bank can make.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
The case exposes a flood of cheaply made, often fraudulent AI tracks on major streaming platforms, siphoning royalties, overwhelming detection systems and blurring the line between fan remix and scam.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
-
The formula’s blurring effect also helps pores, discoloration, and uneven texture look filtered and less noticeable.—
Sarah Y. Wu,
Glamour,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
Ever since her father left the fort almost a whole season ago, walking off into the darkening blue hills with both his hounds, never to return, her mother has taken to these long and aimless searches, sometimes with Brith and sometimes without.—
Maggie O’Farrell,
Literary Hub,
2 June 2026
-
Its trio, a lonely fox-deer, an axolotl apprentice healer and a red panda Viking, travel through a darkening natural world as the series folds identity, belonging and environmental crisis.—
Callum McLennan,
Variety,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overshadowing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overshadowing. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
