as in popularized
to use so much as to make less appealing
she had overused that joke to the point where it was eliciting groans and not guffaws
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Recent Examples of overused
Dallas’ blue line has more depth in terms of numbers, but its top three producers have been overused.
—
Lia Assimakopoulos, Dallas Morning News, 1 Mar. 2026
So, if the idea of culture is overused, its importance tells the path to success — or failure.
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 19 Jan. 2026
Lastly, Abbas notes that, like any exfoliant, citric acid can cause dryness, irritation, or sensitivity if overused or used in very high concentrations.
—Jacqueline Kilikita, Refinery29, 14 Jan. 2026
Gregg agrees that gray has been overused as a whole.
—Sarah Lyon, The Spruce, 11 Jan. 2026
Their answers, unsurprisingly, skew toward once-trending hues that now feel tired and overused.
—Angelika Pokovba, Martha Stewart, 5 Jan. 2026
Leave overused, cool neutrals in 2025 and take advice from interior designer Marianne Jones and embrace warm, earthy, and saturated color palettes.
—Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Dec. 2025
More coaching, less managing Sporting analogies are often overused in business as the two worlds don’t perfectly align, yet the evolution of leadership in elite football offers useful lessons.
—Justin Hotard, Fortune, 7 Dec. 2025
Kapur recalled how early digital workflows and early surround-sound mixes were initially overused before the industry learned restraint.
—Udita Jhunjhunwala, Variety, 23 Nov. 2025
Lia Assimakopoulos, Dallas Morning News, 1 Mar. 2026
So, if the idea of culture is overused, its importance tells the path to success — or failure.
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 19 Jan. 2026
Lastly, Abbas notes that, like any exfoliant, citric acid can cause dryness, irritation, or sensitivity if overused or used in very high concentrations.
—Jacqueline Kilikita, Refinery29, 14 Jan. 2026
Gregg agrees that gray has been overused as a whole.
—Sarah Lyon, The Spruce, 11 Jan. 2026
Their answers, unsurprisingly, skew toward once-trending hues that now feel tired and overused.
—Angelika Pokovba, Martha Stewart, 5 Jan. 2026
Leave overused, cool neutrals in 2025 and take advice from interior designer Marianne Jones and embrace warm, earthy, and saturated color palettes.
—Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Dec. 2025
More coaching, less managing Sporting analogies are often overused in business as the two worlds don’t perfectly align, yet the evolution of leadership in elite football offers useful lessons.
—Justin Hotard, Fortune, 7 Dec. 2025
Kapur recalled how early digital workflows and early surround-sound mixes were initially overused before the industry learned restraint.
—Udita Jhunjhunwala, Variety, 23 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overused
Verb
-
The private credit industry has been roiled in recent months by concerns that it is overexposed to the software industry – an area that’s been under pressure over fears of disintermediation from artificial intelligence.—
Leslie Picker,
CNBC,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Journalists related stories to Brown of the future princess giving them the slip, joking with them, managing her media relations so she wouldn’t be overexposed or maligned.—
Bailey Bujnosek,
InStyle,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Meanwhile, the man captaining the boat that gets her into the Amazon is possessed by thoughts of a lost love, a story even a head-in-her-hands Tereza is exhausted by.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
3 Apr. 2026
-
And what if the low-hanging fruit is exhausted and settlements become harder to come by?—
Adam Summers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Embroidery and quilting hobbies once stereotyped as old-fashioned are booming, especially among younger generations.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Kelly Enders-Tharp, a three-time surrogate and education and experience specialist at Growing Generations, explains that surrogates are often stereotyped, or that their backgrounds are misrepresented.—
Kris Ann Valdez,
Parents,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Nobody should be bored with that.—
Jeff McDonald,
San Antonio Express-News,
2 Apr. 2026
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Lululemon seems to acknowledge that some customers are getting bored with the brand.—
Phil Wahba,
Fortune,
14 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overused.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overused. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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