overcharge

verb

over·​charge ˌō-vər-ˈchärj How to pronounce overcharge (audio)
overcharged; overcharging; overcharges

transitive verb

1
: to charge too much or too fully
2
: to fill too full
3

intransitive verb

: to make an excessive charge
overcharge noun

Examples of overcharge in a Sentence

He overcharges for car repairs. He overcharges his customers for car repairs. The store overcharged me for my skirt.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Red Robin fans jumped at the opportunity to buy a pass granting them bottomless burgers all May, but the promotion encountered some hiccups, including the burger chain's website crashing and some customers being overcharged at checkout. Jonathan Limehouse, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2025 Michael Barker, 47, admitted to working with a business owner starting in November 2019 to overcharge the school district for custodial supplies and split the excess funds, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia said in an April 7 news release. Natalie Demaree, Miami Herald, 9 Apr. 2025 The order will direct the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice to enforce laws, in collaboration with state attorneys general, to prevent entertainers and fans from being overcharged and price gouged by reselling practices. Alex Gangitano, The Hill, 31 Mar. 2025 Critics of the program, which essentially privatizes Medicare, point to insurance companies cherry-picking enrollees who are younger and healthier and overcharging the program for treatment. Selena Simmons-Duffin, NPR, 25 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for overcharge

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of overcharge was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Overcharge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overcharge. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

overcharge

verb
over·​charge ˌō-vər-ˈchärj How to pronounce overcharge (audio)
1
: to charge too much
2
: to fill or load too full
a cannon overcharged with powder
overcharge noun

More from Merriam-Webster on overcharge

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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