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
Relevance
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
Verb
-
As a cicerone and the founder of beer-tour company LA Beer Hop, Mooney’s path overlapped with the pizza community for years.—
Stephanie Breijo,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026 -
The two previously overlapped in the Diamondbacks’ system.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
While this necklace is gold vermeil (coated), it’s designed to last a long time—just make sure not to shower with it on.—
Gina Vaynshteyn,
StyleCaster,
29 Apr. 2026
-
The exterior of the ring is coated in titanium, which held up well during two weeks of testing.—
Andrew Gebhart,
PC Magazine,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The city cut funding last year to $800,000, with the remainder covered by a grant from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.—
Sandra McDonald,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
-
The notices accompanying the most recent launches from Plesetsk covered much longer time periods, with daily windows of up to 10 hours over up to 14 consecutive days.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
The gold ring is composed of a mixed-cut octagonal sapphire which is overlaid with four rectangular-cut and one square-cut rubies.—
Alex Gurley,
PEOPLE,
26 Apr. 2026
-
To do this, Schlatter overlaid the crowding composites tracked by Citi.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
31 Mar. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Overlain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overlain. Accessed 4 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
