overused

past tense of overuse
as in popularized
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

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 overused When pelvic floor muscles are being overused, used improperly, or are weak, your running gait may be less efficient and powerful, Rogers says. Jordan Smith, Outside, 11 Sep. 2025 Annabelle has been in so many movies now, to the point of being overused (the real doll has even been suspected of paranormal activity recently). Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025 The redemption story is overused in sports, but Anisimova coming back from a double-bagel Wimbledon final defeat against Iga Świątek to beat the same player a couple of months later was extraordinary. The Athletic Tennis Staff, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025 Just like credit scores today, which are, at best, meaningful heuristics but are grossly overused, the technology sometimes became a substitute for common sense. Brian Hamilton, Fortune, 1 Sep. 2025 Lighting is often overused at night. Harold Wallace, Space.com, 16 Aug. 2025 The word timeless can sometimes be overused in fashion, but this is that word in action. Libby Page, Vogue, 4 Apr. 2025 For those with sensitive skin — or if overused — AHAs can compromise the skin barrier, causing redness and irritation. Victoria Jowett, Refinery29, 1 Apr. 2025 Reddit users, bloggers and researchers have compiled a list of words and phrases most overused by ChatGPT. Kathryn Lancioni, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overused
Verb
  • In the end, the Guardians’ leverage arms were overexposed, and their bats ran out of magic.
    Zack Meisel, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
  • Without shelter or sufficient support, this group is consistently overexposed to summer temperatures.
    Joan Meiners, AZCentral.com, 29 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The day before, during Erik’s hearing, the relatives had emotionally exhausted themselves, the cousins said.
    Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 12 Oct. 2025
  • He is weakened, and yet his opponents underestimate his continuing appeal with voters exhausted by decades of political dysfunction.
    Ian Bremmer, Time, 10 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • 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
  • Mormons have also sometimes been falsely stereotyped as being polygamists because some of their early founders and members were, but the group banned polygamy in 1890.
    Niraj Warikoo, Freep.com, 29 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • But that doesn’t mean everyone will just be bored at home with nothing to do because their AI assistants can cook, clean and even commute on their behalf.
    Preston Fore, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2025
  • The tunnel will be bored into rock 60 to 250 feet under the lakebed, using a tunnel boring machine that would progress 40 feet per day on average during construction.
    Caitlin Looby, jsonline.com, 19 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Overused.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overused. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.

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