overlap

verb

over·​lap ˌō-vər-ˈlap How to pronounce overlap (audio)
overlapped; overlapping; overlaps

transitive verb

1
: to extend over or past and cover a part of
The roof shingles overlap each other.
2
: to have something in common with
Baseball season overlaps the football season in September.

intransitive verb

1
: to occupy the same area in part
The two towns overlap.
2
: to have something in common
Some of their duties overlap.
overlap noun

Examples of overlap in a Sentence

The roof shingles overlap each other. Baseball season overlaps football season in September. Some of your duties overlap his.
Recent Examples on the Web Sea turtle nesting season also tends to overlap with Florida's hurricane season. Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY, 26 Sep. 2024 Muhl says that their relationship did overlap with Kareen's career, but his grandfather never really got to witness her in action until the recent summertime shoot. Zoey Lyttle, Peoplemag, 26 Sep. 2024 Walz and Emmer overlapped in the House from 2015 through 2019 before Walz ran for governor of Minnesota. Hannah Demissie, ABC News, 23 Sep. 2024 Our thought bubble: Sales can be great for consumers looking to save, but competing and overlapping promotional periods will require them to do more homework to compare deals. Hope King, Axios, 19 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for overlap 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'overlap.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1704, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of overlap was in 1704

Dictionary Entries Near overlap

Cite this Entry

“Overlap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overlap. Accessed 3 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

overlap

verb
over·​lap ˌō-vər-ˈlap How to pronounce overlap (audio)
1
: to lay or lie over (something) so as to partly cover
that piece overlaps the edge
2
: to have something in common
political and social interests that often overlap
3
: to occupy the same area in part
the photos overlap
overlap noun

More from Merriam-Webster on overlap

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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