overreliance
noun
over·re·li·ance
ˌō-vər-ri-ˈlī-ən(t)s 
: the act or state of relying on something or someone too much : excessive reliance
One of my top priorities next year is to have an energy policy that begins to address all facets of our overreliance on fossil fuels.—
Barack Obama
Barack ObamaI shy away from prescribing sleeping pills … to avoid overreliance on them.—Andrew Weil
Andrew WeilExamples of overreliance in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In fact, the doctor shortage has led to unwise remedies such as overreliance on PAs.
—Betsy McCaughey, Boston Herald, 8 Feb. 2026
The report goes further, explaining that most failures stem not from the models themselves, but from poor integration into real workflows, overreliance on generic tools, and a tendency for companies to treat AI as a standalone experiment rather than embedding it into core operations.
—Michael Wystrach, Fortune, 29 Jan. 2026
An overreliance on individual mentorship ignores the systems shaping our lives—and leaves entire communities without support.
—Essence, 26 Jan. 2026
And on a deeper level, there is a worry that an overreliance on Tri-Share will shift responsibility for addressing the child care crisis from policymakers onto the private market, forcing people to rely on their employers to maintain access to affordable child care.
—P.r. Lockhart, Hartford Courant, 24 Jan. 2026
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Betsy McCaughey, Boston Herald, 8 Feb. 2026
The report goes further, explaining that most failures stem not from the models themselves, but from poor integration into real workflows, overreliance on generic tools, and a tendency for companies to treat AI as a standalone experiment rather than embedding it into core operations.
—Michael Wystrach, Fortune, 29 Jan. 2026
An overreliance on individual mentorship ignores the systems shaping our lives—and leaves entire communities without support.
—Essence, 26 Jan. 2026
And on a deeper level, there is a worry that an overreliance on Tri-Share will shift responsibility for addressing the child care crisis from policymakers onto the private market, forcing people to rely on their employers to maintain access to affordable child care.
—P.r. Lockhart, Hartford Courant, 24 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for overreliance
Cite this Entry
“Overreliance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overreliance. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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