overlap

verb

over·​lap ˌō-vər-ˈlap How to pronounce overlap (audio)
overlapped; overlapping; overlaps
Synonyms of overlapnext

transitive verb

1
: to extend over or past and cover a part of
The roof shingles overlap each other.
2
: to have something in common with
Baseball season overlaps the football season in September.

intransitive verb

1
: to occupy the same area in part
The two towns overlap.
2
: to have something in common
Some of their duties overlap.
overlap
ˈō-vər-ˌlap How to pronounce overlap (audio)
noun

Synonyms of overlap

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Examples of overlap in a Sentence

The roof shingles overlap each other. Baseball season overlaps football season in September. Some of your duties overlap his.
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.
Some locks had multiple overlapping gears that turned hypnotically as the bolts slid open. — Shayla Love, New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2026 The shelter’s busy end included large, overlapping hearths surrounded by animal bones, stone-knapping debris, and firewood. — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 9 Oct. 2026 Air pockets trapped between overlapping leaves moderate the soil temperature and slow heat transfer, buffering against the freeze-thaw cycles that heave soil, fracture plant roots and expose beneficial soil microbes to lethal cold. — Manjot Kaur Sidhu, The Conversation, 9 Oct. 2026 Appearing alongside Fry are Elfman, Beach, Jessica Sula, Maria Zhang and Luke Kleintank, the latter of whom also acted in Bones, though his time on that show did not overlap with Fry. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for overlap

Word History

First Known Use

1704, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of overlap was in 1704

Rhymes for overlap

See All Rhymes for overlap

Browse Nearby Words

Overland Park
overlap
overlap fault
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Cite this Entry

“Overlap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overlap. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

overlap

verb
over·​lap ˌō-vər-ˈlap How to pronounce overlap (audio)
1
: to lay or lie over (something) so as to partly cover
that piece overlaps the edge
2
: to have something in common
political and social interests that often overlap
3
: to occupy the same area in part
the photos overlap
overlap
ˈō-vər-ˌlap How to pronounce overlap (audio)
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on overlap

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about overlap

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