overextend
verb
over·ex·tend
ˌō-vər-ik-ˈstend 
overextended; overextending; overextends
: to extend or expand beyond a safe or reasonable point
especially
: to commit (oneself) financially beyond what can be paid
When the interest rate went up, he found he'd overextended himself.
Examples of overextend in a Sentence
He overextended a muscle in his arm.
Recent Examples on the Web
We are trusted by our partners to help grow their businesses by underwriting consumers responsibly, without overextending them.
—
Brian Doubles, Fortune, 31 Mar. 2026
For these savers, a deposit of $3,000 could help boost their financial standing without overextending themselves at the same time.
—Matt Richardson, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
Eagles general manager Howie Roseman does not overextend his budget on edge rushers.
—Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2026
This drives up taxpayer costs and additionally strains already overextended local services.
—Deyanira Nevárez Martínez, The Conversation, 4 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for overextend
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.
Brian Doubles, Fortune, 31 Mar. 2026
For these savers, a deposit of $3,000 could help boost their financial standing without overextending themselves at the same time.
—Matt Richardson, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
Eagles general manager Howie Roseman does not overextend his budget on edge rushers.
—Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2026
This drives up taxpayer costs and additionally strains already overextended local services.
—Deyanira Nevárez Martínez, The Conversation, 4 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for overextend
Cite this Entry
“Overextend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overextend. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
overextend
verb
over·ex·tend
ˌō-vər-ik-ˈstend
: to extend or expand beyond a safe or reasonable point
especially
: to commit (oneself) financially beyond what can be paid
Medical Definition
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
