as in exceeding
to be greater, better, or stronger than
a manager whose arrogance was overtopped only by his ineptitude
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Recent Examples of overtopping
Additional steps to prevent the water from overtopping the dam.
—
Paula Wethington, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2026
The 75-year-old levee had multiple failures in recent days, from seepage and water overtopping it to a partial collapse at one home, county officials said.
—Steven Rosenfeld, Mercury News, 6 Jan. 2026
The most common reason levees fail is overtopping, when water from a river, stream or lake behind the levee flows over the top.
—Farshid Vahedifard, The Conversation, 29 Dec. 2025
That fateful day, the dam collapsed, releasing a torrent of floodwater that swallowed thousands of homes in the area, ripping some off their foundations while leaving others severely damaged, and overtopping the Sanford Dam.
—Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Aug. 2025
Paula Wethington, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2026
The 75-year-old levee had multiple failures in recent days, from seepage and water overtopping it to a partial collapse at one home, county officials said.
—Steven Rosenfeld, Mercury News, 6 Jan. 2026
The most common reason levees fail is overtopping, when water from a river, stream or lake behind the levee flows over the top.
—Farshid Vahedifard, The Conversation, 29 Dec. 2025
That fateful day, the dam collapsed, releasing a torrent of floodwater that swallowed thousands of homes in the area, ripping some off their foundations while leaving others severely damaged, and overtopping the Sanford Dam.
—Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overtopping
Verb
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As the SpaceX deal surfaced, Cursor was also reported to be in negotiations to bring in a new $2 billion funding round at a valuation exceeding $50 billion.—
Rebecca Fannin,
CNBC,
19 May 2026
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Tarmac delays exceeding four hours on international flights increased to 77, up from 64 in 2024.—
Bruce Finley,
Denver Post,
19 May 2026
Verb
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Marner leads this postseason with 18 points, surpassing his previous career high of 14.—
Jesse Granger,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
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Spain clinches top spot for LGBTIA protections For the first time in a decade, Malta lost its spot atop the rankings, with Spain surpassing the archipelago under the leadership of leftist prime minister, Pedro Sánchez.—
Drew Pittock,
USA Today,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Severe to extreme drought conditions exist in some of the red-flag warning areas, where expected wind gusts topping 55 mph threaten to rapidly spread wildfires.—
Kyle Reiman,
ABC News,
17 May 2026
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The show was beautifully choreographed with each light display topping the previous one.—
Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado,
Sacbee.com,
16 May 2026
Verb
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The siblings would, of course, go on to become pop superstars in their own rights in the decades to come, eclipsing the fame of all their brothers and sisters.—
John Russell,
PEOPLE,
16 May 2026
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Late in the season, Schaefer set NHL records for goals and points by an 18-year-old defenseman, eclipsing Phil Housley in both categories.—
Peter Baugh,
New York Times,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overtopping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overtopping. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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