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
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Recent Examples of overused
Derma rollers must be cleaned properly and not overused.
—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Kansas City Star, 8 Apr. 2026
Dallas’ blue line has more depth in terms of numbers, but its top three producers have been overused.
—Lia Assimakopoulos, Dallas Morning News, 1 Mar. 2026
So, if the idea of culture is overused, its importance tells the path to success — or failure.
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 19 Jan. 2026
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
Their answers, unsurprisingly, skew toward once-trending hues that now feel tired and overused.
—Angelika Pokovba, Martha Stewart, 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
More coaching, less managing Sporting analogies are often overused in business as the two worlds don’t perfectly align, yet the evolution of leadership in elite football offers useful lessons.
—Justin Hotard, Fortune, 7 Dec. 2025
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Kansas City Star, 8 Apr. 2026
Dallas’ blue line has more depth in terms of numbers, but its top three producers have been overused.
—Lia Assimakopoulos, Dallas Morning News, 1 Mar. 2026
So, if the idea of culture is overused, its importance tells the path to success — or failure.
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 19 Jan. 2026
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
Their answers, unsurprisingly, skew toward once-trending hues that now feel tired and overused.
—Angelika Pokovba, Martha Stewart, 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
More coaching, less managing Sporting analogies are often overused in business as the two worlds don’t perfectly align, yet the evolution of leadership in elite football offers useful lessons.
—Justin Hotard, Fortune, 7 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overused
Verb
-
The private credit industry has been roiled in recent months by concerns that it is overexposed to the software industry – an area that’s been under pressure over fears of disintermediation from artificial intelligence.—
Leslie Picker,
CNBC,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Journalists related stories to Brown of the future princess giving them the slip, joking with them, managing her media relations so she wouldn’t be overexposed or maligned.—
Bailey Bujnosek,
InStyle,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
This latest denial likely closes the door for Williams to open a dispensary at the Broadway location — having exhausted most administrative routes.—
Hannah Elsmore,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
-
In one panel, children maimed or exhausted by labor stare out bleakly; in another, unemployed men in a small industrial town sit or stand around.—
Judith Shulevitz,
The Atlantic,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Latinos are a fundamental part of American history and culture, and one of the largest communities in the United States, yet their presence in Hollywood has long been limited, stereotyped, or overlooked.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Accounting, long stereotyped as dull and tedious, has struggled for years to attract young talent.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Samba Jean-Baptiste’s music dwells in the semi-sublime state of being bored and stoned.—
Emma Madden,
Pitchfork,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Nobody should be bored with that.—
Jeff McDonald,
San Antonio Express-News,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overused.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overused. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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