as in exceeded
to be greater, better, or stronger than
a manager whose arrogance was overtopped only by his ineptitude
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Recent Examples of overtopped
The dam was in the process of being turned over to area residents when the failure occurred, releasing a torrent that also overtopped the downstream Sanford Dam and flooded the city of Midland.
—
ABC News, 23 Apr. 2026
Workers began clearing debris and mud at first light from a catchment area where material had overtopped concrete barriers along the northbound shoulder.
—Bay City News Service, Mercury News, 21 Feb. 2026
The existing levee was just an inch or two away from being overtopped by floodwaters earlier this month, according to Orting’s mayor, Joshua Penner.
—Evan Bush, NBC news, 21 Dec. 2025
Both rivers have overtopped their banks, affecting residential areas, farmland, and roadways, though gradual declines are expected through Friday and into the weekend.
—Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
Seawalls were overtopped in sections along Fort Lauderdale’s Riverwalk.
—Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2025
In 1941, a huge wave caused by a snow and ice avalanche that fell into Laguna Palcacocha, a glacial lake in the Peruvian Andes, overtopped the moraine dam that had contained the lake for decades.
—Suzanne Oconnell, The Conversation, 13 Aug. 2025
Because the flooding has been a growing concern for Juneau over the past several years, city officials with federal assistance installed emergency flood barriers along several miles of riverbanks in the areas deemed most at risk for being overtopped.
—Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 13 Aug. 2025
Dunes and living levees — gently sloping barriers covered in vegetation — can be overtopped by waves or erode, damaging or possibly rendering nearby homes uninhabitable.
—Lindsey J. Smith, San Francisco Chronicle, 28 Apr. 2022
ABC News, 23 Apr. 2026
Workers began clearing debris and mud at first light from a catchment area where material had overtopped concrete barriers along the northbound shoulder.
—Bay City News Service, Mercury News, 21 Feb. 2026
The existing levee was just an inch or two away from being overtopped by floodwaters earlier this month, according to Orting’s mayor, Joshua Penner.
—Evan Bush, NBC news, 21 Dec. 2025
Both rivers have overtopped their banks, affecting residential areas, farmland, and roadways, though gradual declines are expected through Friday and into the weekend.
—Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
Seawalls were overtopped in sections along Fort Lauderdale’s Riverwalk.
—Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2025
In 1941, a huge wave caused by a snow and ice avalanche that fell into Laguna Palcacocha, a glacial lake in the Peruvian Andes, overtopped the moraine dam that had contained the lake for decades.
—Suzanne Oconnell, The Conversation, 13 Aug. 2025
Because the flooding has been a growing concern for Juneau over the past several years, city officials with federal assistance installed emergency flood barriers along several miles of riverbanks in the areas deemed most at risk for being overtopped.
—Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 13 Aug. 2025
Dunes and living levees — gently sloping barriers covered in vegetation — can be overtopped by waves or erode, damaging or possibly rendering nearby homes uninhabitable.
—Lindsey J. Smith, San Francisco Chronicle, 28 Apr. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overtopped
Verb
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Maldives National Defence Force The dive far exceeded what was planned for a scientific cruise focused on coral sampling at standard depths, Stella added.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
17 May 2026
-
The little rotorcraft far exceeded mission managers' expectations, completing a total of 72 flights over the course of nearly three years.—
Josh Dinner,
Space.com,
17 May 2026
Verb
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The national debt has surpassed the GDP, Social Security and Medicare face looming financial crises, inflation is rising, families are struggling — and yet Congress does nothing.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
15 May 2026
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Austin skipped over San Jose for the 12th most populous spot, as Texas' capital city surpassed 1 million residents for the first time.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Earnings of 38 cents per share, excluding items, topped the FactSet consensus estimate of 31 cents per share.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
19 May 2026
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Sasha Miller contributed five goals, two assists and four draw controls as Beverly topped Andover, 15-12.—
Tyler McManus,
Boston Herald,
19 May 2026
Verb
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Technology needs had also long been eclipsed; Kehillat Israel has been live-streaming its services since the pandemic.—
Rachel Kraus,
Los Angeles Times,
20 May 2026
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Along came Shein, the Chinese retailer that’s eclipsed the likes of Zara and H&M to become the dominant global purveyor of fast fasion.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overtopped.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overtopped. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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