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

So when Alex rejects the author of a romantasy novel entitled The Goblin Seed that turns out to be a bestseller, all hell breaks loose.

— Joy Press, Vanity Fair, 24 Aug. 2026
Manjari Sihare-Sutin, who heads Sotheby’s South Asian Modern and Contemporary department, said her team rejects an average of two works ahead of every sale because of authenticity concerns.

— Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of rejects

Verb

After roll call and then assisting a man who sought to change his address, Judge Cho dismisses the other immigrants without speaking to them individually.

— Cameron Pugh, Christian Science Monitor, 28 Aug. 2026
The Heritage Foundation’s Yenor dismisses the notion that elite sports pose any threat to male fertility, observing to SciAm that, since 1990, Super Bowl–winning quarterbacks have had a higher than average number of children.

— Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of dismisses

Verb

In the lawsuit, Kupsh acknowledges attending most of the demonstrations but denies being a ringleader, blocking anyone from campus walkways or refusing orders.

— Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
Meta denies these claims, asserting human decisions guide workforce management.

— Forbes.com, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of denies

Verb

In the event that Bally’s refuses to respond with full candor and information, the City Council may need to consider options up to and including suspending the Bally’s license.

— Joe Ferguson, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026
The channel, which is banned inside Iran, refuses to disclose its private donors.

— Cora Engelbrecht, New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of refuses

Verb

If a cyclist ignores a moving violation summons and gets stopped again while cycling, there’s nothing the NYPD can do other than issue more moving violation summonses that will be ignored and go unpaid.

— Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 24 Aug. 2026
But that’s a much smaller part of the story than the argument suggests, and ignores that the majority of the competitive stakes in major European divisions are driven by the quest for continental competition.

— Ian Nicholas Quillen, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of ignores

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

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Synonyms of overrules

verb

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