overlain

verb

past participle of overlie
1
as in overlapped
to lie over parts of one another the puzzle pieces overlay one another in complete disarray on the floor

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in coated
to form a layer over there will be freezing rain tonight, so we can expect to find a thick layer of ice overlying the car windshield in the morning

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for overlain
  1. overlapped
  2. coated
  3. covered
  4. overlaid
Verb
  • The duo also overlapped at Austria’s RB Salzburg — Glasner as assistant manager between 2012 and 2014, and Schlager as a player from 2016-19 after coming through their youth ranks.
    — Paul Taylor, New York Times, 30 July 2026
  • Trump’s meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came as the wars in Ukraine and Iran have recently expanded and overlapped in their footprint.
    — Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 28 July 2026
Definition of overlapped
Verb
  • Shag carpet covered original terra-cotta floors, high-gloss paint coated nearly every wooden surface and overgrown weeds crowded the yard.
    — R. Daniel Foster, Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2026
  • Flip the block of cheese so both sides are coated in the oil.
    — Kate Williams, AJC.com, 20 July 2026
Definition of coated
Verb
  • The period covered by the data release followed a historic global oil shock set off by the Middle East conflict.
    — Max Zahn, ABC News, 30 July 2026
  • This is different from a total lunar eclipse, which happens when the entire moon is covered by our planet's shadow.
    — Julia Gomez, USA Today, 30 July 2026
Definition of covered
Verb
  • Each design was simulated spinning mid-flight and overlaid on 100 real-world backgrounds, then scored by a perceptual model built to mimic human vision, where a lower score meant better camouflage.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 17 July 2026
  • Text is entered by a user and overlaid within hundreds of moving dots in a short video animation.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 16 July 2026
Definition of overlaid
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.

Browse Nearby Words

overlaid
overlain
overlap
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Cite this Entry

“Overlain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overlain. Accessed 3 Aug. 2026.

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