as in exceeding
to be greater, better, or stronger than
a manager whose arrogance was overtopped only by his ineptitude
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Recent Examples of overtopping
Additional steps to prevent the water from overtopping the dam.
—
Paula Wethington, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2026
The 75-year-old levee had multiple failures in recent days, from seepage and water overtopping it to a partial collapse at one home, county officials said.
—Steven Rosenfeld, Mercury News, 6 Jan. 2026
The most common reason levees fail is overtopping, when water from a river, stream or lake behind the levee flows over the top.
—Farshid Vahedifard, The Conversation, 29 Dec. 2025
That fateful day, the dam collapsed, releasing a torrent of floodwater that swallowed thousands of homes in the area, ripping some off their foundations while leaving others severely damaged, and overtopping the Sanford Dam.
—Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Aug. 2025
Paula Wethington, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2026
The 75-year-old levee had multiple failures in recent days, from seepage and water overtopping it to a partial collapse at one home, county officials said.
—Steven Rosenfeld, Mercury News, 6 Jan. 2026
The most common reason levees fail is overtopping, when water from a river, stream or lake behind the levee flows over the top.
—Farshid Vahedifard, The Conversation, 29 Dec. 2025
That fateful day, the dam collapsed, releasing a torrent of floodwater that swallowed thousands of homes in the area, ripping some off their foundations while leaving others severely damaged, and overtopping the Sanford Dam.
—Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overtopping
Verb
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The car-sized rover has been exploring Mars' Gale Crater since 2012, far exceeding its two-year mission plan.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
12 May 2026
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Hiring slowed in April but remained solid, exceeding economists’ expectations, federal government data last week showed.—
Max Zahn,
ABC News,
12 May 2026
Verb
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The newest member of the Dream became the fastest player in WNBA history to record 50 career double-doubles during Saturday’s season-opening win over the Minnesota Lynx, surpassing a mark previously held by WNBA legend Tina Charles.—
Amber Harding OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
10 May 2026
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Then, in 2017, Tesla mainstreamed the Model S with the more affordable Model 3, surpassing the erstwhile eco-warrior favorite Prius.—
Brooke Crothers,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2026
Verb
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In 2026, the pace of deals has kicked into overdrive, with Nvidia already topping $40 billion in commitments and expanding its portfolio to include more public equities.—
Kristina Partsinevelos,Ashley Capoot,
CNBC,
9 May 2026
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This season, however, most cases have been found in the country’s central region, with the province of Buenos Aires topping the highest number of cases with 42.—
Gonzalo Zegarra,
CNN Money,
9 May 2026
Verb
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Celebrini, 19, finished fourth in the NHL with 115 points, eclipsing Joe Thornton’s single-season team record of 114 set in 2006-07.—
Curtis Pashelka,
Mercury News,
8 May 2026
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Restaurants reigned as Amex’s single biggest travel and entertainment spending category coming out of COVID, rising from a distant third two years before, and eclipsing the traditional leaders, hotels and airfare.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
6 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overtopping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overtopping. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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