as in too
beyond a normal or acceptable limit
there's no need to be overly careful about the rough draft, since we'll polish it afterwards
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of overly
About one third of Europeans also said Americans are overly friendly and think Americans often ignore local customs.
—
Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 23 July 2025
Spaces aren’t overly curated or stuffy: They’re lived in, with personal touches that tell stories.
—Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 July 2025
According to a draft seen by Reuters, the White House is set to release a sweeping new AI strategy Wednesday aimed at boosting the global export of U.S. AI technologies while cracking down on state-level regulations seen as overly restrictive.
—Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 22 July 2025
Some see the current system as one that may give an overly positive picture of how well students are performing, especially given that the state’s performance on a national test, the National Assessment of Educational Progress, has shown post-pandemic declines in reading and math.
—Scott Travis, Sun Sentinel, 12 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for overly
Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 23 July 2025
Spaces aren’t overly curated or stuffy: They’re lived in, with personal touches that tell stories.
—Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 July 2025
According to a draft seen by Reuters, the White House is set to release a sweeping new AI strategy Wednesday aimed at boosting the global export of U.S. AI technologies while cracking down on state-level regulations seen as overly restrictive.
—Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 22 July 2025
Some see the current system as one that may give an overly positive picture of how well students are performing, especially given that the state’s performance on a national test, the National Assessment of Educational Progress, has shown post-pandemic declines in reading and math.
—Scott Travis, Sun Sentinel, 12 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for overly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overly
Adverb
-
There’s plenty of homegrown flair, too, with several members of the U.S. men’s national team expected to appear alongside players from Mexico's team that recently claimed the CONCACAF Gold Cup in Houston.—
Marley Malenfant,
Austin American Statesman,
24 July 2025
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But scammers also text and ask for cryptocurrency and cash, too.—
Susan Tompor,
Freep.com,
24 July 2025
Adverb
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In fact, he was unduly rewarded for all of those things.—
S.E. Cupp,
New York Daily News,
24 July 2025
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Besides being unduly pessimistic, this makes personal assumptions about the terms of the separation and the feelings of the former employee.—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
23 July 2025
Adverb
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It’s coated in a thin layer of real gold – not just to look fancy, but because gold reflects infrared light extremely well.—
Adi Foord,
Space.com,
26 July 2025
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The Jacksonville Jaguars made an extremely aggressive move in the 2025 NFL Draft.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Overly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overly. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.
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