as in exceeded
to be greater, better, or stronger than
a manager whose arrogance was overtopped only by his ineptitude
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Recent Examples of overtopped
The dam was in the process of being turned over to area residents when the failure occurred, releasing a torrent that also overtopped the downstream Sanford Dam and flooded the city of Midland.
—
ABC News, 23 Apr. 2026
Workers began clearing debris and mud at first light from a catchment area where material had overtopped concrete barriers along the northbound shoulder.
—Bay City News Service, Mercury News, 21 Feb. 2026
The existing levee was just an inch or two away from being overtopped by floodwaters earlier this month, according to Orting’s mayor, Joshua Penner.
—Evan Bush, NBC news, 21 Dec. 2025
Both rivers have overtopped their banks, affecting residential areas, farmland, and roadways, though gradual declines are expected through Friday and into the weekend.
—Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
Seawalls were overtopped in sections along Fort Lauderdale’s Riverwalk.
—Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2025
In 1941, a huge wave caused by a snow and ice avalanche that fell into Laguna Palcacocha, a glacial lake in the Peruvian Andes, overtopped the moraine dam that had contained the lake for decades.
—Suzanne Oconnell, The Conversation, 13 Aug. 2025
Because the flooding has been a growing concern for Juneau over the past several years, city officials with federal assistance installed emergency flood barriers along several miles of riverbanks in the areas deemed most at risk for being overtopped.
—Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 13 Aug. 2025
Dunes and living levees — gently sloping barriers covered in vegetation — can be overtopped by waves or erode, damaging or possibly rendering nearby homes uninhabitable.
—Lindsey J. Smith, San Francisco Chronicle, 28 Apr. 2022
ABC News, 23 Apr. 2026
Workers began clearing debris and mud at first light from a catchment area where material had overtopped concrete barriers along the northbound shoulder.
—Bay City News Service, Mercury News, 21 Feb. 2026
The existing levee was just an inch or two away from being overtopped by floodwaters earlier this month, according to Orting’s mayor, Joshua Penner.
—Evan Bush, NBC news, 21 Dec. 2025
Both rivers have overtopped their banks, affecting residential areas, farmland, and roadways, though gradual declines are expected through Friday and into the weekend.
—Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
Seawalls were overtopped in sections along Fort Lauderdale’s Riverwalk.
—Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2025
In 1941, a huge wave caused by a snow and ice avalanche that fell into Laguna Palcacocha, a glacial lake in the Peruvian Andes, overtopped the moraine dam that had contained the lake for decades.
—Suzanne Oconnell, The Conversation, 13 Aug. 2025
Because the flooding has been a growing concern for Juneau over the past several years, city officials with federal assistance installed emergency flood barriers along several miles of riverbanks in the areas deemed most at risk for being overtopped.
—Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 13 Aug. 2025
Dunes and living levees — gently sloping barriers covered in vegetation — can be overtopped by waves or erode, damaging or possibly rendering nearby homes uninhabitable.
—Lindsey J. Smith, San Francisco Chronicle, 28 Apr. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overtopped
Verb
-
Rumfield has exceeded expectations.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
30 May 2026
-
Ever since 2025, travel expenses have exceeded $200,000.—
Daniel Rivero,
Miami Herald,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
The exact day the AI agents and bots surpassed human activity remains unclear.—
Samantha Elkins,
NBC news,
4 June 2026
-
Weeks later, the fundraiser had surpassed $200,000.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
Wild king salmon topped with tomatoes, olives and capers was accessorized with a puff pastry in the shape of a cartoon fish.—
Julissa James,
Los Angeles Times,
2 June 2026
-
Hewlett Packard Enterprise — The information technology stock surged 25% after Hewlett Packard posted current-quarter earnings and revenue guidance that topped analysts’ estimates.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
And markets appeared to agree, as optimism over tech prospects eclipsed geopolitical concerns.—
Lim Hui Jie,
CNBC,
2 June 2026
-
The town above it, Cap d'Artrutx, has a long promenade along a low cliff edge where thousands will gather to watch totality, followed by a deep, partially eclipsed sun sinking into the Mediterranean.—
Jamie Carter,
Space.com,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overtopped.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overtopped. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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