as in exceeding
to go beyond the limit of
the principal overstepped her authority in ordering everyone to remain in the unheated school
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 overstepping
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
Fellow Redditors shared the consensus that the bride is not treating her sister fairly and is overstepping by asking her to help cover some of the wedding costs.
—Erin Clack, People.com, 6 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
Similarly, Focus on the Family addressed the issue of overstepping in-laws, noting that while empathy for their emotions is important, couples need to be firm in their decisions.
—Justin Gest, Newsweek, 11 Feb. 2025
Normally Congress could exercise its authority to prevent the president overstepping his power, but the Republican majority hasn't signaled its willingness to do such a thing, according to Levitt; instead, some Republicans are beginning to propose just the opposite.
—Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 9 Feb. 2025
Many Reddit users have sided with the poster, claiming her father is overstepping.
—Ashley Vega, People.com, 5 Feb. 2025
This time, the executive branch is led by a president who seems intent on testing, and often overstepping, conventional and even constitutional limits on presidential power.
—David Greising, Chicago Tribune, 31 Jan. 2025
Jonathan Blitzer, The New Yorker, 10 Mar. 2025
Fellow Redditors shared the consensus that the bride is not treating her sister fairly and is overstepping by asking her to help cover some of the wedding costs.
—Erin Clack, People.com, 6 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
Similarly, Focus on the Family addressed the issue of overstepping in-laws, noting that while empathy for their emotions is important, couples need to be firm in their decisions.
—Justin Gest, Newsweek, 11 Feb. 2025
Normally Congress could exercise its authority to prevent the president overstepping his power, but the Republican majority hasn't signaled its willingness to do such a thing, according to Levitt; instead, some Republicans are beginning to propose just the opposite.
—Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 9 Feb. 2025
Many Reddit users have sided with the poster, claiming her father is overstepping.
—Ashley Vega, People.com, 5 Feb. 2025
This time, the executive branch is led by a president who seems intent on testing, and often overstepping, conventional and even constitutional limits on presidential power.
—David Greising, Chicago Tribune, 31 Jan. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overstepping
Verb
-
Developing a liquid metal layer The extreme conditions within a fusion reactor, where super-heated plasma reaches temperatures exceeding those of the sun, pose a significant challenge to material science.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
22 Mar. 2025
-
Winston has continued to provide value in locker rooms despite not exceeding the big expectations that followed the 2013 Heisman Trophy winner to the NFL during his first five seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.—
The Athletic NFL Staff,
The Athletic,
22 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
The 2024 edition marks the highest tally of all time, greatly surpassing Barack Obama’s previous record of 95,894 pages.—
Clyde Wayne Crews Jr.,
Forbes,
31 Dec. 2024
-
The movie Wicked has officially become the highest-grossing Broadway adaptation in box office history, surpassing the movie musical Mamma Mia.—
George Monastiriakos,
Newsweek,
31 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Overstepping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overstepping. Accessed 22 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share