overuse

verb

ˌō-vər-ˈyüz How to pronounce overuse (audio)
Definition of overusenext
as in to stereotype
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 overuse The fastest ways to lose that hotel feel include overusing plug-ins, which read as synthetic, and mixing too many competing fragrances at once. — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Kansas City Star, 10 June 2026 Don’t Overdo the Booze While a preflight or in-flight cocktail might sound like a good idea to calm jangled nerves, both experts caution against overusing alcohol to manage anxiety in the air. — Jill Robbins, Travel + Leisure, 5 June 2026 The Mets need to be careful about potentially overusing him and their other high-leverage relievers such as lefty Brooks Raley and right-hander Luke Weaver. — Will Sammon, New York Times, 3 June 2026 Baking soda does not make tomatoes sweeter and can harm plants if overused. — Cori Sears, The Spruce, 30 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for overuse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overuse
  1. stereotype
  2. overexpose
  3. popularize
  4. vulgarize
  5. exhaust
  6. overdo
  7. bore
Verb
  • Sleep apnea is still stereotyped as affecting older, overweight men, which means women’s more subtle symptoms are often not thoroughly investigated by doctors.
    — Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Along with the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, the foundation also partners with schools and community institutions to educate the challenging effects of stereotyping, unconscious bias, and representation imbalance of gender, ethnicity, sexuality, and persons with disabilities.
    — Carole Horst, Variety, 21 June 2026
Definition of stereotype
Verb
  • While some use leverage strategically, many are overexposed, risking severe losses when markets inevitably correct, proving even good ideas can fail without surviving volatility.
    — Andrew Graham, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • However, the sky is overexposed and completely devoid of blue.
    — Kimberly Gedeon, PC Magazine, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of overexpose
Verb
  • The timeless, effortlessly cool silhouette has been hot for decades; Jennifer Aniston helped popularize it in the ‘90s and, yes, is still wearing it today.
    — Kaelin Dodge, InStyle, 3 Aug. 2026
  • That idea is fairly commonplace now—but that’s because Perel helped popularize it.
    — Faith Hill, The Atlantic, 24 July 2026
Definition of popularize
Verb
  • His versions were full-blooded, with lush strings and reasonably large orchestras — and, purists alleged — vulgarizing distortions.
    — BostonGlobe.com, BostonGlobe.com, 28 Oct. 2019
Definition of vulgarize
Verb
  • The ruling involves 16 men's basketball players who sued the NCAA in Cobb County Superior Court in July after exhausting four seasons of college eligibility.
    — Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Cinema has lately exhausted the emotional mileage of the Ukraine–EU border, but one wittily choreographed setpiece involving the couple’s border crossing finds in transition an ingenious point of convergence between gender and geography.
    — Sonya Vseliubska, IndieWire, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of exhaust
Verb
  • Be careful not to overdo it; once scooped, the frozen watermelon will melt faster.
    — Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Aug. 2026
  • While the Rays are being careful not to overdo expectations for their highest draft pick in 18 years, Emerson is not shy at all about his goals.
    — John Romano, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 July 2026
Definition of overdo
Verb
  • Outdoor brands like Halfdays, FP Movement, Patagonia, and Athleta have quite frankly never looked better, with cheerful colorways, unique designs, and trail-ready pieces all proving that function doesn’t have to mean boring.
    — Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Aug. 2026
  • That said, woodpeckers are attracted to other types of wood-boring insects, and woodpecker activity doesn’t always indicate that borers are present.
    — Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of bore

Browse Nearby Words

overturns
overuse
overused
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Overuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overuse. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on overuse

Nglish: Translation of overuse for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All