oversimplify
verb
over·sim·pli·fy
ˌō-vər-ˈsim-plə-ˌfī 
oversimplified; oversimplifying; oversimplifies
: to simplify to such an extent as to bring about distortion, misunderstanding, or error
: to engage in undue or extreme simplification
Examples of oversimplify in a Sentence
The article oversimplifies the problem.
She tends to oversimplify things.
We must resist the temptation to oversimplify.
Recent Examples on the Web
The planet sitting below was dramatically oversimplified — just a smooth sphere with no geography or oceans.
—
Zack Savitsky, Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025
Democrats, meanwhile, caution against oversimplifying the task force’s role.
—Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 11 Sep. 2025
Those later pictures are (to oversimplify things) compositions of signs and curbs and power lines and gas pumps and highways, eerily still, uncannily balanced yet held in tension.
—Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 3 Sep. 2025
At the risk of oversimplifying things, South Carolina has enough talent at QB and recent recruiting success to justify its No. 13 ranking in the preseason AP top 25.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for oversimplify
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Zack Savitsky, Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025
Democrats, meanwhile, caution against oversimplifying the task force’s role.
—Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 11 Sep. 2025
Those later pictures are (to oversimplify things) compositions of signs and curbs and power lines and gas pumps and highways, eerily still, uncannily balanced yet held in tension.
—Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 3 Sep. 2025
At the risk of oversimplifying things, South Carolina has enough talent at QB and recent recruiting success to justify its No. 13 ranking in the preseason AP top 25.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for oversimplify
Cite this Entry
“Oversimplify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oversimplify. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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oversimplify
verb
over·sim·pli·fy
ˌō-vər-ˈsim-plə-ˌfī
: to simplify something so much that the result is confusing, misleading, or wrong
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