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 Many detox teas contain laxatives like senna, which can cause side effects like diarrhea, cramping, and bloating if overused. Carrie Madormo, Verywell Health, 3 June 2026 Baking soda does not make tomatoes sweeter and can harm plants if overused. Cori Sears, The Spruce, 30 May 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overused
Verb
  • The background appears splotchy and overexposed, but to my dismay, the selfie camera did not miss my messy eyebrows or the minor imperfections on my skin.
    Kimberly Gedeon, PC Magazine, 2 June 2026
  • Talent can lose trust, seem overexposed, fall out of sync with the moment, or simply become less compelling.
    Lin Cherry, Fortune, 17 May 2026
Verb
  • And Louis, perhaps exhausted from his spree of bouts, but also perhaps looking past Schmeling, hadn’t trained much.
    Vann R. Newkirk II, The Atlantic, 19 June 2026
  • Once the trust fund is exhausted, the system will continue to receive payroll and self-employment taxes each year.
    Bob Carlson, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026
Verb
  • Brousson jokingly stereotyped the Waffle House staffers as having active warrants, picking their nose with the spatulas and smoking cigarettes while battling third-degree grease burns.
    Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 June 2026
  • 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
Verb
  • In the buildup to Friday’s match, all sorts of American eyes bored in on Pulisic’s injury.
    Henry Bushnell, New York Times, 20 June 2026
  • Buzzard followed along, fascinated by the social experiment though bored by the mathematical content of Equational Theories.
    Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 8 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Overused.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overused. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.

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