as in overlaying
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1
as in overlapping
to lie over parts of one another
the puzzle pieces overlay one another in complete disarray on the floor
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in coating
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
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Recent Examples of overlying
Marshall Shepherd, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
But clever techniques can work around this limitation, including adaptive optics, which rapidly reshapes a mirror in the telescope to counter the motion of overlying air.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 27 Nov. 2025
Verb
However, those sea surface temperatures will be far warmer than the overlying air temperatures.
—Marshall Shepherd, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
But clever techniques can work around this limitation, including adaptive optics, which rapidly reshapes a mirror in the telescope to counter the motion of overlying air.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 27 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overlying
Verb
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Finding space elsewhere helped in both matches against Sunderland, with an overlapping run from Riccardo Calafiori creating space for Trossard away from home.—
Art de Roché,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
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Start by laying sheets of cardboard on the ground, overlapping the edges to block out sunlight from reaching weed seeds.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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This practice of coating paper with wax dates back through the 19th century, as a way to keep moisture and odors out of different food items.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
9 Feb. 2026
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The sun comes out, coating the top layer of the icy snow with water, and suddenly, the track is a half-second faster.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In a media landscape increasingly defined by power and influence, the emails offer journalists a cautionary tale and a road map for covering the elite.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
9 Feb. 2026
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Venevision, which like most private networks dropped coverage critical of the government in recent years, has reopened its airwaves to anti-government voices, covering opposition leader María Corina Machado's every move in Washington since Maduro's capture.—
EGINA GARCIA CANO,
Arkansas Online,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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As music played in the background, overlaying captions appeared on screen beside Bader, 30, who underwent bariatric surgery in December 2023.—
Zoey Lyttle,
PEOPLE,
3 Feb. 2026
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Trying to tap the ice sheet, which covers 80 percent of Greenland, for minerals is unappealing, given that all the necessary supplies would need to be brought inland by helicopter and there are kilometers of ice overlaying parts of the rock.—
Stephanie Pappas,
Scientific American,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overlying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overlying. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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