as in exhausts
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of overuses
That’s important, since many people make the mistake—both in the gym and daily life—of shrugging their shoulders up to their ears, which overuses the upper traps and elevates the scapula.
—
Jenny McCoy, SELF, 25 Aug. 2025
Jenny McCoy, SELF, 25 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overuses
Verb
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But freedom of expression is a constant pursuit, as natural as breathing, and silencing it is an imperfect practice that exhausts the oppressor and energizes the oppressed.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Gauff’s movement often exhausts her opponents.—
Merlisa Lawrence Corbett,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The Coalition for Faith and Media, in partnership with HarrisX, recently launched a research study that found 70% of Americans believe Hollywood stereotypes faith, while 82% say film and TV should prioritize portraying more accurate and complex portrayals of faith and religion.—
Antonio Ferme,
Variety,
23 Jan. 2026
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But while working mom and trad wife stereotypes reign online and in popular culture, many moms fall somewhere in between those two tropes.—
Madeline Mitchell,
USA Today,
31 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Alexander’s staging occasionally overdoes the comic exuberance.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Feb. 2026
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But Maura never overdoes the feisty granny bit.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The invasive beetle bores into wood and kills ash trees by eating tissues under the bark.—
Caitlin Looby,
jsonline.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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But the patient, grinding work of peace implementation typically bores him.—
Bobby Ghosh,
Time,
14 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Overuses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overuses. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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