over·stock
ˈō-vər-ˌstäk 
plural overstocks
: a surplus of stock : an excessively large inventory of goods
Dealers were reminded at the fall Comdex show that they could lose their contracts if they were caught selling their overstock of PCs … to unauthorized dealers.—
David Stamps
David StampsA group of women from the fashion industry got together to buy designer overstocks for men, women and children and sell them at a discount on the Internet.—Jill Sabulis
Jill Sabulis
over·stock
ˌō-vər-ˈstäk
overstocked; overstocking
1
transitive + intransitive
: to stock too much or too many of (something) : to get or have excess inventory of (a good or goods)
The big, reputable department stores frequently overstock designers' wares for Christmas, Valentine's Day, and Mother's Day.—John Heilemann
John Heilemanndiscounting overstocked merchandise
Don't overstock. Sure, you don't want to run out of product. … But tying up all your capital in inventory can turn your company into the Titanic.—Michelle Goodman
Michelle Goodman2
transitive
: to provide (something or someone) with too large a supply of something
Supermarkets are already overstocking their shelves with traditional Thanksgiving food items.—Michelle Singletary
Michelle SingletaryRetailers try to walk a fine line between threatening their profits by overstocking their stores—as happened the last couple of years—and running out of popular gift items, which means lost sales.—Jenny Strasburg
Jenny Strasburg… many American cities are overstocked with … office and residential space.—Don McLeod
Don McLeod… we agonized about overstocking the list with luxurious French restaurants, big-city restaurants, or those with famous chefs.—Gourmet
GourmetExamples of overstock in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Katie Akin, Southern Living, 18 Apr. 2025
Effective inventory allocation, for example, is central to operational efficiency and customer satisfaction, but retailers continue to grapple with balancing overstock and understock, inaccurate demand forecasting and inefficient distribution systems.
—Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 1 Apr. 2025
Mostofa Shakib, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
The Big Lots retail chain had a reputation as a bargain-hunter's dream for overstocked and discontinued home goods and supplies.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overstock
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Noun
The slender building was formerly used as storage by its previous owner, who bought and resold overstock products.
—Katie Akin, Southern Living, 18 Apr. 2025
Effective inventory allocation, for example, is central to operational efficiency and customer satisfaction, but retailers continue to grapple with balancing overstock and understock, inaccurate demand forecasting and inefficient distribution systems.
—Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 1 Apr. 2025
Verb
Mistakes in managing inventory can mean either running out of popular products or wasting money by overstocking less popular ones.
—Mostofa Shakib, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
The Big Lots retail chain had a reputation as a bargain-hunter's dream for overstocked and discontinued home goods and supplies.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overstock
Cite this Entry
“Overstock.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overstock. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.
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