as in to stereotype
to use so much as to make less appealing
she had overused that joke to the point where it was eliciting groans and not guffaws
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of overuse
Lastly, Abbas notes that, like any exfoliant, citric acid can cause dryness, irritation, or sensitivity if overused or used in very high concentrations.
—
Jacqueline Kilikita, Refinery29, 14 Jan. 2026
Gregg agrees that gray has been overused as a whole.
—Sarah Lyon, The Spruce, 11 Jan. 2026
According to the Cleveland Clinic, vocal cord lesions are growths that form on the vocal cords, typically as a result of a person overusing or misusing their voice.
—Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 5 Jan. 2026
Leave overused, cool neutrals in 2025 and take advice from interior designer Marianne Jones and embrace warm, earthy, and saturated color palettes.
—Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overuse
Jacqueline Kilikita, Refinery29, 14 Jan. 2026
Gregg agrees that gray has been overused as a whole.
—Sarah Lyon, The Spruce, 11 Jan. 2026
According to the Cleveland Clinic, vocal cord lesions are growths that form on the vocal cords, typically as a result of a person overusing or misusing their voice.
—Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 5 Jan. 2026
Leave overused, cool neutrals in 2025 and take advice from interior designer Marianne Jones and embrace warm, earthy, and saturated color palettes.
—Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overuse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overuse
Verb
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Symptoms such as hot flashes and mood changes are well known, and often stereotyped, but experts worldwide want to highlight that women face a huge range of changes to their bodies during the menopause – and lack of awareness means many will start experiencing symptoms without knowing why.—
Sashikala VP,
CNN Money,
4 Dec. 2025
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Among many challenges, the next president of the church will navigate how to lead a global church from its American headquarters – a church that continues to be misunderstood and stereotyped, sometimes to the point of violence.—
Brittany Romanello,
The Conversation,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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If there's too much ambient light, night mode might let in too much and overexpose your photos.—
David Ferrara,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
19 Jan. 2026
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Only a few years after her 21st birthday extravaganza, Paris Hilton had been overexposed.—
Serena Turner,
Vanity Fair,
29 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Eventually, even the activist who helped popularize the slogan in 2018 mostly abandoned it.—
Elaine Godfrey,
The Atlantic,
18 Jan. 2026
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Skype was founded in 2003 to popularize video call technology.—
Oscar Täckström,
Fortune,
3 Jan. 2026
Verb
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His versions were full-blooded, with lush strings and reasonably large orchestras — and, purists alleged — vulgarizing distortions.—
BostonGlobe.com,
BostonGlobe.com,
28 Oct. 2019
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Ever since his rise to power, Trump has served as a vulgarizing agent.—
Leon Neyfakh,
Slate Magazine,
2 June 2017
Verb
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Gentry had both of those things, but he is headed to the NFL after exhausting his eligibility.—
Haley Sawyer,
Oc Register,
22 Jan. 2026
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With costs accelerating and incremental fixes exhausted, healthcare is approaching a breaking point.—
Robert Pearl,
Forbes.com,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The retractable, angled tip makes shaping intuitive and eliminates the need for sharpening, so the stroke width stays consistent and harder to overdo.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
22 Jan. 2026
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While open shelves can create an airy feel and provide storage surfaces in a visually appealing way, overdoing the look isn't practical, or in keeping with the current bathroom trends.—
Maria Sabella,
Better Homes & Gardens,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The invasive beetle bores into wood and kills ash trees by eating tissues under the bark.—
Caitlin Looby,
jsonline.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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The rousing trailer finds Prince Adam bored to death hiding out at a generic corporate desk job on Earth when his precious sword is discovered, which sends him on a wild odyssey back to the land of Eternia and its talking tigers, spaceships, gothic castles, and magic swords.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overuse. Accessed 25 Jan. 2026.
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