overlying 1 of 2

overlying

2 of 2

verb

present participle of overlie
1
as in overlapping
to lie over parts of one another the puzzle pieces overlay one another in complete disarray on the floor

Synonyms & Similar Words

2

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 overlying
Verb
Any longer may damage your overlying skin and even give you frostbite. Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026 The local agricultural cooperative now struggles given the absence of irrigated agriculture in that area overlying the Ogallala. Allen Best, Denver Post, 14 June 2026 The results are somewhat ambiguous as to how much ice may lurk unseen beneath layers of overlying ice-sparse material. K. R. Callaway, Scientific American, 18 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overlying
Verb
  • This time, his character materializes at a series of gatherings where lawyers, politicians, and bankers (sometimes played by confusingly overlapping actors) nurse cocktails and amiably confess to manipulating the public.
    Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Be sure to start below the injury and wrap upward, overlapping each layer but never so tightly that fingers or toes become numb or painful.
    Dr. Jill Grimes, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Most record-breaking perovskite cells in labs rely on spin-coating or wet-chemical solution processing, which doesn’t scale well to large, textured industrial silicon wafers.
    Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Bring to room temperature before portioning and coating in cinnamon-sugar.
    Rick Martinez, Bon Appetit Magazine, 25 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Pack a tube of petroleum jelly (Vaseline) in your first aid kit instead of antibiotic ointment and remember to flush all scrapes and cuts with copious amounts of clean water before covering them with the jelly.
    Dr. Jill Grimes, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Ground surveys can provide more detailed information at a particular site, but covering an entire subway corridor that way would be difficult.
    Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 29 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • His team spent about a month overlaying influenza trends on card spending, hunting for spikes at drugstores, and found a relationship that was never clean enough to use.
    John Drake, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
  • In Modrić and Haaland’s cases, some do this by overlaying bows and hearts on their images.
    ABC News, ABC News, 11 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Overlying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overlying. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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