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
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
Beyond offering help, further conversation with him about his belongings is overstepping.
—R. Eric Thomas, Mercury News, 29 Oct. 2025
More important, though, is the fact that the judge who posited that hordes of deserters could follow Vovchenko’s example seems to be overstepping his role.
—Air Mail, 25 Oct. 2025
The board is also presenting the four-day school week as an issue of local control — an ongoing tension between state lawmakers and larger cities in Missouri — suggesting the state is overstepping by requiring a public vote.
—Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 16 Oct. 2025
The two drawers and open shelf give you just enough room for essentials (book, glasses, eye masks) without overstepping into dresser territory.
—Bailey Berg, Architectural Digest, 8 Oct. 2025
Then, during one or two moments of lightly overstepping the limit of grip, the S5’s good chassis communication enabled easy correction via a hint of counter-steer.
—Peter Nelson, Forbes.com, 20 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
Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2025
Beyond offering help, further conversation with him about his belongings is overstepping.
—R. Eric Thomas, Mercury News, 29 Oct. 2025
More important, though, is the fact that the judge who posited that hordes of deserters could follow Vovchenko’s example seems to be overstepping his role.
—Air Mail, 25 Oct. 2025
The board is also presenting the four-day school week as an issue of local control — an ongoing tension between state lawmakers and larger cities in Missouri — suggesting the state is overstepping by requiring a public vote.
—Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 16 Oct. 2025
The two drawers and open shelf give you just enough room for essentials (book, glasses, eye masks) without overstepping into dresser territory.
—Bailey Berg, Architectural Digest, 8 Oct. 2025
Then, during one or two moments of lightly overstepping the limit of grip, the S5’s good chassis communication enabled easy correction via a hint of counter-steer.
—Peter Nelson, Forbes.com, 20 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overstepping
Verb
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Ice accumulations of at least one-tenth of an inch are possible, with localized amounts exceeding one-quarter inch in parts of northern Michigan, according to the Weather Prediction Center winter weather forecast.—
Brandi D. Addison,
USA Today,
17 Feb. 2026
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Some areas could see wind gusts approaching or exceeding 60 mph with relative humidity dropping near or below 10%, creating conditions where fires can spread rapidly.—
Callie Zanandrie,
CBS News,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Pokémon is the world’s highest-grossing media franchise, surpassing even Disney and Star Wars.—
Laura Sharman,
CNN Money,
16 Feb. 2026
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And Gamson’s college buddy Fred Maher, a drummer for Lou Reed, Richard Hell, and the avant-funk band Material, who, like Gartside, saw how the new electronic pop was surpassing the musical adventurousness of his old post-punk comfort zone.—
Andy Cush,
Pitchfork,
15 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overstepping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overstepping. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
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