as in stereotyping
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
Relevance
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 overusing
Where younger adults tend to become isolated after overusing smartphones, older adults tend to turn to phones after cognitive declines or being isolated from family and friends.
—
Emily Kwong, NPR, 25 Feb. 2026
The perception problem While filler words can help conversations flow, research suggests overusing them may signal uncertainty or a shaky command of the material (or language in general).
—Angela Haupt, Time, 20 Feb. 2026
Revenge and Williams say that precision, without overusing heat, is key.
—Essence Wiley, InStyle, 19 Feb. 2026
Education experts and parent advocates who are concerned about schools overusing devices for instruction said the documents shed new light, in candid detail, on the business motivations behind one of the biggest technology companies marketing its products to teachers and school administrators.
—Tyler Kingkade, NBC news, 23 Jan. 2026
Results build gradually, so skipping days or overusing strong formulas can set you back.
—Jailynn Taylor, Allure, 17 Jan. 2026
Acting early and avoiding common mistakes like overusing salt or chipping with metal tools reduces damage and injury risk.
—Olivia McIntosh, Martha Stewart, 16 Jan. 2026
According to the Cleveland Clinic, vocal cord lesions are growths that form on the vocal cords, typically as a result of a person overusing or misusing their voice.
—Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 5 Jan. 2026
Simon insisted that, contrary to Ehrlich’s predictions, humanity would not self-destruct by overusing the planet’s resources.
—Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
Emily Kwong, NPR, 25 Feb. 2026
The perception problem While filler words can help conversations flow, research suggests overusing them may signal uncertainty or a shaky command of the material (or language in general).
—Angela Haupt, Time, 20 Feb. 2026
Revenge and Williams say that precision, without overusing heat, is key.
—Essence Wiley, InStyle, 19 Feb. 2026
Education experts and parent advocates who are concerned about schools overusing devices for instruction said the documents shed new light, in candid detail, on the business motivations behind one of the biggest technology companies marketing its products to teachers and school administrators.
—Tyler Kingkade, NBC news, 23 Jan. 2026
Results build gradually, so skipping days or overusing strong formulas can set you back.
—Jailynn Taylor, Allure, 17 Jan. 2026
Acting early and avoiding common mistakes like overusing salt or chipping with metal tools reduces damage and injury risk.
—Olivia McIntosh, Martha Stewart, 16 Jan. 2026
According to the Cleveland Clinic, vocal cord lesions are growths that form on the vocal cords, typically as a result of a person overusing or misusing their voice.
—Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 5 Jan. 2026
Simon insisted that, contrary to Ehrlich’s predictions, humanity would not self-destruct by overusing the planet’s resources.
—Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overusing
Verb
-
That absence increases the risk of caricature and stereotyping in AI image outputs of the Black community.—
Donnetta Monk,
Essence,
9 Oct. 2025
-
Analysis is valuable to prevent biases like stereotyping and misjudging probabilities, while intuition is valuable for creativity and rapid adaptation to complex problems.—
Hulan Hagen,
Forbes,
26 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
Many people damage their nails by picking at their cuticles, for example, or drying them out by overexposing them to water.—
Andee Tagle,
NPR,
21 Feb. 2026
-
That range can provide diversification benefits without overexposing retirees to price swings that don't generate dividends or interest.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Fortunately, there’s little danger of overdoing it on vitamin D from food alone.—
Sarah Garone,
Health,
13 Mar. 2026
-
The actor says creating Dutton's persona reflects what Grimes liked watching while growing up, namely actors who told a story without overdoing it, with still excellence, like Paul Newman.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Groups usually switch out the lead skier often to avoid exhausting one person.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
9 Mar. 2026
-
As these components segregate over generations, the gene drive becomes less functional, strategy that has been described as a means of developing self-exhausting gene drives that limit geographic distribution.—
Srishti Gupta,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
By then, Vokietaitis’ yips had taken on a life of their own and as the Cougars were boring in to foul him intentionally and place him back on that torture chamber that was thinly disguised as a free-throw line, Miller signaled for the timeout to thwart the season's first Hack-a-Matas.—
Cedric Golden,
Austin American Statesman,
21 Mar. 2026
-
Amaze your kids by showing them what giants used to call Fremont home, long before boring-by-comparison coyotes and raccoons.—
John Metcalfe,
Mercury News,
18 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overusing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overusing. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
