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
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Recent Examples of overused
But in science, they have been especially overused.
—
Clarissa Brincat, Big Think, 29 Apr. 2026
Turning Up the Heat Too High Too Fast High heat has its place, but it is often overused.
—Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 28 Apr. 2026
Rights groups warn the measure, introduced in March 2025, is now being overused by authorities.
—ABC News, 14 Apr. 2026
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
Clarissa Brincat, Big Think, 29 Apr. 2026
Turning Up the Heat Too High Too Fast High heat has its place, but it is often overused.
—Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 28 Apr. 2026
Rights groups warn the measure, introduced in March 2025, is now being overused by authorities.
—ABC News, 14 Apr. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overused
Verb
-
Talent can lose trust, seem overexposed, fall out of sync with the moment, or simply become less compelling.—
Lin Cherry,
Fortune,
17 May 2026
-
Not all are stars yet, and even some of the more talented players get overexposed, but these people can generally play the roles required of them.—
Ben Rosenstock,
Vulture,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
Discussing the subject with an older person who is suffering from chronic pain, is worried about paying for health care or medications, and is exhausted from caregiving is untimely to say the least.—
Helen Dennis,
Daily News,
30 May 2026
-
Most of the benefits from larger tax cuts have already been exhausted, Zandi said.—
Alex Harring,Deena Zaidi,
CNBC,
29 May 2026
Verb
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When younger generations don’t have interactions or relationships with older adults having vibrant lives, later chapters of life can be stereotyped as a time of pain, difficulty and loss, Emery-Tiburcio said.—
Madeline Holcombe,
CNN Money,
23 May 2026
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At a time when younger workers are often stereotyped as quick to abandon jobs that feel difficult or unrewarding, Dimon said discomfort is part of the process.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
Travelers are increasingly bored with vacations built only around drinking, gambling and sitting by the pool.—
Winston Ross,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
-
Imagine if Jeff Bezos got bored just owning The Washington Post, firing hundreds of writers and squashing the freedom of its opinion section, and decided to join the American forces parachuting into Venezuela or Iran, only to ignore their orders and seize some prisoners on his own.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overused.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overused. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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