overwrite

verb

over·​write ˌō-vər-ˈrīt How to pronounce overwrite (audio)
ˌō-və-
overwrote ˌō-vər-ˈrōt How to pronounce overwrite (audio)
ˌō-və-
; overwritten ˌō-vər-ˈri-tᵊn How to pronounce overwrite (audio)
ˌō-və-
; overwriting ˌō-vər-ˈrī-tiŋ How to pronounce overwrite (audio)
ˌō-və-

transitive verb

1
: to write over the surface of
2
: to write in inflated or overly elaborate style

intransitive verb

: to write too much or in an overly elaborate style

Examples of overwrite in a Sentence

The author has a tendency to overwrite.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Equipped with a 170-degree, ultra-wide angle and a 3-inch LCD screen, this dash camera has seamless loop recording and a collision-detecting emergency lock that saves the most recent footage leading up to a collision, preventing valuable footage from being overwritten by new footage. Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 23 Oct. 2024 While the Terminator franchise canon is notoriously convoluted, this scenario illustrates a straightforward way to cut through the confusion: Each act of time travel creates a new timeline, overwriting every story that came before. Gavia Baker-Whitelaw, Vulture, 30 Aug. 2024 That dropper had in some cases installed another malware weapon, which FireEye calls ShapeShift, designed to wipe target computers by overwriting every portion of a computer's hard drive with zeros. Andy Greenberg, WIRED, 20 Sep. 2017 Investigators got the cockpit voice recorder from the Alaska Airlines jet, but the recorder on the Southwest plane was overwritten after the plane took off. Shawn Tully, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for overwrite 

Word History

First Known Use

1820, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of overwrite was in 1820

Dictionary Entries Near overwrite

Cite this Entry

“Overwrite.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overwrite. Accessed 11 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

overwrite

verb
over·​write ˌō-və(r)-ˈrīt How to pronounce overwrite (audio)
overwrote -ˈrōt How to pronounce overwrite (audio) ; overwritten -ˈrit-ᵊn How to pronounce overwrite (audio) ; overwriting -ˈrīt-iŋ How to pronounce overwrite (audio)
1
: to write over the surface of : write on top of
2
: to write too much or in an overly elaborate style
overwritten accounts of everyday events

More from Merriam-Webster on overwrite

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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