OVERRULES Synonyms: 86 Similar and Opposite Words

overrules

verb

present tense third-person singular of overrule

as in rejects

to decide that (something or someone) is wrong; to rule against (something or someone) The judge overruled the objection. His conviction was overruled by the supreme court.

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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 overrules That order could keep the merger on pause indefinitely while the litigation moves forward, which means it could be paused for years, unless an appeals court overrules her. — Alison Durkee, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026 Whatever that might be in people’s minds, then that’s going to be an impressive government that comes down and overrules that connection that people have with whatever the highest government is in their mind. — Torie Bosch, STAT, 6 June 2026 Accessibility Although there are areas where design overrules function, the majority of the resort meets ADA standards with ramps and wheelchair-friendly pathways. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 May 2026 Echoing a common theme from older participants, Kelle Phillips said Trump’s decision was a pragmatic reaction to a real threat that overrules the best hopes of campaign rhetoric. — Thomas Beaumont, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2026 The appellate court's decision overrules a lower court judge who refused to dismiss Gary's lawsuit last year, leading gun manufacturers to appeal. — Jordan Smith, IndyStar, 29 Dec. 2025 The legislation, Senate Bill (SB) 79, overrules local zoning to boost development in busy areas of the Golden State, allowing developers to build tall apartment and condo buildings of up to nine stories in single-family areas near certain transit stops. — Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Oct. 2025 The decision overrules a lower court's decision that had blocked USAID cuts. — Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for overrules

Verb

The agent proposes; the human reviews, edits, approves, or rejects; and the system brings reasoning and evidence with the recommendation.

— William Jones, USA Today, 3 Aug. 2026
Hamas also said that laying down its heavy weapons, which would come later in the process, was contingent on the creation of a Palestinian state, something Israel’s current government adamantly rejects.

— Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 31 July 2026

Definition of rejects

Verb

Warsh, conversely, advocates for the Fed to be more opaque, a strategy the author dismisses as misguided.

— John Tamny, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
One automatically ascribes fraud to results that are often predictable, even routine; the other dismisses legitimate concerns as conspiracy theories.

— Andrew E. Busch, The Conversation, 23 July 2026

Definition of dismisses

Verb

Karl Buchholz, Broomfield Recent coverage of RTD’s budget and ridership crisis completely ignores the elephant in the room, public safety.

— DP Opinion, Denver Post, 2 Aug. 2026
Two things are always in motion, the agent's confidence and the person's trust, and an interface that ignores both will feel wrong long before anyone can say why.

— Ravi Palwe, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026

Definition of ignores

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Style

“Overrules.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overrules. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of overrules

verb

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