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 While the analogy may be slightly overused, the challenge is that oil still needs to be refined into a useful end product. Guy Courtin, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026 Although the word ‘hero’ is greatly overused in today’s society, in my mind, Calvin Duncan is a hero in the truest sense of that word. Gabrielle Bellot, Literary Hub, 30 June 2026 Meanwhile, existing antibiotics have been overused, and resistance has mounted to critical levels. Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 26 June 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overused
Verb
  • However, the sky is overexposed and completely devoid of blue.
    Kimberly Gedeon, PC Magazine, 3 Aug. 2026
  • On one hand, critics like the Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer believe he’s being overexposed with too many segments and screen time on Raw and SmackDown for what some consider a niche gimmick.
    Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Most professionals are exhausted from repetition rather than effort.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Both player exhausted their eligibility as seniors last season and went undrafted, but with the new ruling, could find their way back to Orlando.
    Matt Murschel, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Aug. 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
  • Early on, Daunt flagged that Barnes & Noble—like Waterstones before it—suffered from uniformity that bored customers.
    Phil Wahba, Fortune, 3 Aug. 2026
  • The best moment of this episode comes near the end, when Amanda Cronin, bored by a ridiculous argument, decides to reapply her lip gloss using her knife as a mirror.
    Brian Moylan, Vulture, 29 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Overused.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overused. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

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