as in exceeding
to go beyond the limit of
the principal overstepped her authority in ordering everyone to remain in the unheated school
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Recent Examples of overstepping
If that fails, youth could back a Prime Minister from outside Parliament, invoking the doctrine of necessity—though this risks overstepping constitutional limits.
—
Sonal Nain, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025
During his first term, his Administration tried to require drugmakers to include their products’ sticker prices in TV ads, but a federal judge blocked it on the grounds that HHS was overstepping its authority.
—Chad De Guzman, Time, 10 Sep. 2025
Local officials in The Prairie State have pushed back on the administration’s threat, suggesting Trump is overstepping his authority.
—Steff Danielle Thomas, The Hill, 6 Sep. 2025
Various new laws and regulations are starting to appear because of viewpoints that AI is overstepping its suitable bounds.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025
Their legal battle related to business continued, and in November 2023, Blackstock was ordered to pay Clarkson $2,641,374 for overstepping in his managerial role and unlawfully procuring deals that a talent agent should've handled.
—Jordana Comiter, People.com, 7 Aug. 2025
After Republicans retook the House in 2010, the view among conservatives was that President Barack Obama was overstepping his powers out of frustration with congressional inaction.
—Jonathan Blitzer, The New Yorker, 10 Mar. 2025
Coaches must navigate bureaucracy, enhance influence without overstepping and align personal growth with organizational values to balance individual and collective priorities.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2025
Then, the series shows a doctor overstepping ethical bounds and taking justice into her own hands.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 20 Feb. 2025
Sonal Nain, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025
During his first term, his Administration tried to require drugmakers to include their products’ sticker prices in TV ads, but a federal judge blocked it on the grounds that HHS was overstepping its authority.
—Chad De Guzman, Time, 10 Sep. 2025
Local officials in The Prairie State have pushed back on the administration’s threat, suggesting Trump is overstepping his authority.
—Steff Danielle Thomas, The Hill, 6 Sep. 2025
Various new laws and regulations are starting to appear because of viewpoints that AI is overstepping its suitable bounds.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025
Their legal battle related to business continued, and in November 2023, Blackstock was ordered to pay Clarkson $2,641,374 for overstepping in his managerial role and unlawfully procuring deals that a talent agent should've handled.
—Jordana Comiter, People.com, 7 Aug. 2025
After Republicans retook the House in 2010, the view among conservatives was that President Barack Obama was overstepping his powers out of frustration with congressional inaction.
—Jonathan Blitzer, The New Yorker, 10 Mar. 2025
Coaches must navigate bureaucracy, enhance influence without overstepping and align personal growth with organizational values to balance individual and collective priorities.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2025
Then, the series shows a doctor overstepping ethical bounds and taking justice into her own hands.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 20 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overstepping
Verb
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As experts, the members of Forbes Business Council have experience implementing customer service best practices without exceeding their budget or overwhelming their team.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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An American Medical Association survey of 13,000 physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants in 2022 reflected rates of burnout exceeding 50% in several key specialties.—
Patrick Aguilar,
The Conversation,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Most good thrillers escalate gradually, with each twist surpassing the last.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
10 Sep. 2025
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Oracle on Wednesday jumped from being the 13th-most valuable company in the S&P 500 to the 10th most-valuable, surpassing the market value of Eli Lilly (LLY), Walmart (WMT) and JPMorgan Chase (JPM).—
Jordan Valinsky,
CNN Money,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Overstepping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overstepping. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
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