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
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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
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Recent Examples of overshadowing
The event is at the heart of a sprawling legal battle, playing out across different fronts in Los Angeles and Australia, overshadowing The Deb, a feel-good movie about outback teens attending a debutante ball.
—
Jake Kanter, Deadline, 17 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
The intent is to help clients stay grounded and prepared as decisions progress, complementing the legal work without overshadowing it.
—Nia Bowers, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2026
If Mountbatten-Windsor were to attend the couple would again risk headlines about a comeback from the Jeffrey Epstein scandal overshadowing the happy occasion.
—Jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2026
Anthrax ecology The bacteria that cause anthrax are forever associated with weapons that destroy people, overshadowing their ecologically complex role in animals and soils that sustain humanity.
—Hannah Kinzer, The Conversation, 25 Mar. 2026
Rising oil and gas prices from regional fighting become an urgent EU priority, overshadowing negotiations on Ukraine aid.
—Sam McNeil, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2026
Some social media users thought the integration risked overshadowing the awards.
—Gene Maddaus, Variety, 13 Mar. 2026
People have the desire to evolve together, and get past the minor annoyances of a Gemini being too flighty for an intense Scorpio or a Leo’s dramatics overshadowing Taurus’s kindness.
—Lisa Stardust, Vogue, 14 Feb. 2026
Jake Kanter, Deadline, 17 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
The intent is to help clients stay grounded and prepared as decisions progress, complementing the legal work without overshadowing it.
—Nia Bowers, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2026
If Mountbatten-Windsor were to attend the couple would again risk headlines about a comeback from the Jeffrey Epstein scandal overshadowing the happy occasion.
—Jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2026
Anthrax ecology The bacteria that cause anthrax are forever associated with weapons that destroy people, overshadowing their ecologically complex role in animals and soils that sustain humanity.
—Hannah Kinzer, The Conversation, 25 Mar. 2026
Rising oil and gas prices from regional fighting become an urgent EU priority, overshadowing negotiations on Ukraine aid.
—Sam McNeil, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2026
Some social media users thought the integration risked overshadowing the awards.
—Gene Maddaus, Variety, 13 Mar. 2026
People have the desire to evolve together, and get past the minor annoyances of a Gemini being too flighty for an intense Scorpio or a Leo’s dramatics overshadowing Taurus’s kindness.
—Lisa Stardust, Vogue, 14 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overshadowing
Verb
-
Hadid kept her accessories monochromatic and simple, partially obscuring her face with a pair of oversized dark brown sunglasses and adding a brown leather skinny belt around her hips.—
Lara Walsh,
InStyle,
13 Apr. 2026
-
To make your windows sparkle, make sure there are no smudges obscuring the spring sunlight.—
Lori Keong,
Architectural Digest,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But the system was complicated and costly, with operation and maintenance expenses outweighing postage revenue by nearly a factor of three.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The universe is overrun with dark matter, outweighing the ordinary stuff that stars and planets are made of five-to-one.—
Frank Landymore,
Futurism,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In some cases, the distortion of Zionism feeds into this trend, blurring the line between political critique and the delegitimization of the Jewish right to self-determination.—
Elad Strohmayer,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Apr. 2026
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However, money has a way of blurring a league’s vision.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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As the world's largest oil importer and a heavily export-reliant economy, China is vulnerable to an oil shock that's already slowing trade, pushing up factory costs, and darkening the outlook for the rest of the year.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
16 Apr. 2026
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The staggering human toll in Gaza, ongoing West Bank settlement expansion, another incursion into Lebanon, and a darkening war with Iran eroded support among younger Americans—even as Washington remains Israel’s indispensable security partner.—
Ian Bremmer,
Time,
15 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overshadowing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overshadowing. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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