OVERSIMPLE Synonyms: 37 Similar and Opposite Words

oversimple

adjective

Definition of oversimple

as in hasty

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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 oversimple This oversimple model grants primacy based on authorship and chronology. — Kevin Dettmar, The Atlantic, 1 July 2022

Recent Examples of Synonyms for oversimple

Adjective

Over the next few months, Caroline, who wanted to get into the house quickly, and Raymond made hasty decisions to speed up the move-in process.

— Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2026
Over time, these hasty constructions gave way to sites that still define New York, like the vast Reflecting Absence memorial at the World Trade Center site, a garden in northern Manhattan, and a memorial on the shores of Staten Island.

— Robert W. Snyder, New York Daily News, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of hasty

Adjective

Green Bay’s sketchy offensive-line availability and talent could open the door for Turner and the rest of the defensive line to make an introductory statement.

— Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
In this mode, Proton Mail adds challenges for any suspicious logins, provides more detail in security logs, and offers 24/7 escalation of sketchy logins to human analysts.

— Neil J. Rubenking, PC Magazine, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of sketchy

Adjective

Both sides still have to hash out key details — including what constitutes sufficient medical attention — to avoid scenarios where care and examinations are conducted in a cursory manner to meet numerical goals.

— Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 8 Sep. 2026
Heath pilots a fighter jet, deploys bombs in foreign countries, and thwarts cyberattacks, all after remarkably cursory and casual conversations with a government official.

— Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of cursory

Adjective

Maryland’s reliance on the passing game could pose problems for a secondary that was picked apart by Purdue quarterback Ryan Browne last week and is still without free safety Tao Johnson.

— Connor Dullinger, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
Gaines has 234 yards and two touchdowns on 45 carries, as well as 58 yards and a touchdown in the passing game.

— Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of passing

Adjective

Despite the film’s slow-cinema touches, its storytelling structure and emotionality — even though muted and quiet — recall instead the melodrama at its most facile.

— Elena Lazic, Variety, 25 July 2026
The notion that Argentina had to win it in order to secure his position on the pantheon of all-time greats, elevating him to the level of Pele and Maradona, was appealing but ultimately facile.

— Oliver Kay, New York Times, 19 July 2026

Definition of facile

Adjective

Violent crime, once almost unknown on the island, is rising sharply—another sign of the state’s haphazard retreat.

— Will Freeman, Foreign Affairs, 17 Sep. 2026
With no clear guidance, haphazard and improvised efforts by companies to clean the homes left 6 in 10 residences still unsafe.

— Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of haphazard

Adjective

At Aventura concerts, random concert goers are often brought to the stage to perform the Don Omar part.

— Lars Brandle, Billboard, 1 Oct. 2026
Sign up for our weekly newsletter Proof Positive How does a coherent structure emerge from many small random occurrences?

— Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of random

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“Oversimple.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oversimple. Accessed 3 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of oversimple

adjective

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