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
The lawsuit alleges the agency is overstepping its authority by unilaterally redefining the legal standard for hemp.
—
Dallas Morning News, 30 Mar. 2026
Jean Fisher, an administrator in DHW’s Division of Youth Safety and Permanancy, answered questions lawmakers had about the possibility of courts overstepping in cases of terminating visitations.
—Shannon Tyler
march 27, Idaho Statesman, 27 Mar. 2026
McPartlin will play Detective Mike Garner, a pigheaded CRASH detective who quickly shuts Bosch down for overstepping.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 25 Mar. 2026
The mechanic who changes your oil and mentions that your brake pads are worn is not overstepping.
—Peter Gunderman, The Conversation, 18 Mar. 2026
Sanchez-Lopez’s attorney, however, argues the sheriff is overstepping his authority.
—Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 16 Mar. 2026
The conflict centers on the City Council adding $13 million to the JAA's budget for developing Cecil Airport, which some view as overstepping its authority.
—David Bauerlein, Florida Times-Union, 6 Mar. 2026
The federal and state governments argue that such environmental harm is not real and that the lower court was overstepping its authority.
—Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 25 Feb. 2026
What To Know State officials describe the portal as a mechanism for documenting incidents in which federal officers may be overstepping their authority, including allegations of excessive force, unlawful detentions, improper searches or actions that appear to violate constitutional protections.
—Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2025
Dallas Morning News, 30 Mar. 2026
Jean Fisher, an administrator in DHW’s Division of Youth Safety and Permanancy, answered questions lawmakers had about the possibility of courts overstepping in cases of terminating visitations.
—Shannon Tyler
march 27, Idaho Statesman, 27 Mar. 2026
McPartlin will play Detective Mike Garner, a pigheaded CRASH detective who quickly shuts Bosch down for overstepping.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 25 Mar. 2026
The mechanic who changes your oil and mentions that your brake pads are worn is not overstepping.
—Peter Gunderman, The Conversation, 18 Mar. 2026
Sanchez-Lopez’s attorney, however, argues the sheriff is overstepping his authority.
—Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 16 Mar. 2026
The conflict centers on the City Council adding $13 million to the JAA's budget for developing Cecil Airport, which some view as overstepping its authority.
—David Bauerlein, Florida Times-Union, 6 Mar. 2026
The federal and state governments argue that such environmental harm is not real and that the lower court was overstepping its authority.
—Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 25 Feb. 2026
What To Know State officials describe the portal as a mechanism for documenting incidents in which federal officers may be overstepping their authority, including allegations of excessive force, unlawful detentions, improper searches or actions that appear to violate constitutional protections.
—Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overstepping
Verb
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Doe is seeking damages exceeding $75,000, along with other punitive damages and other relief to be determined at trial.—
Lexi Nicklaus,
Baltimore Sun,
28 Apr. 2026
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Both teams had playoff probabilities exceeding 85% just a few weeks ago.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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True to form, on Friday night Richardson went 45-5, fouled and hit 48-8 before surpassing 49 feet on all of his last three jumps.—
Steve Brand,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
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After success domestically, some of China’s biggest carmakers are expanding worldwide, with BYD surpassing Ford in global sales last year—while selling only EVs and hybrids.—
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez,
Fortune,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overstepping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overstepping. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
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