overlap

verb

over·​lap ˌō-vər-ˈlap 

overlapped; overlapping; overlaps

transitive verb

1

: to extend over or past and cover a part of

The roof shingles overlap each other.

2

: to have something in common with

Baseball season overlaps the football season in September.

intransitive verb

1

: to occupy the same area in part

The two towns overlap.

2

: to have something in common

Some of their duties overlap.

overlap

ˈō-vər-ˌlap 

noun

Synonyms

• lap
• overlay
• overlie
• overspread

Examples of overlap in a Sentence

The roof shingles overlap each other.

Baseball season overlaps football season in September.

Some of your duties overlap his.

Recent Examples on the Web

Architecture Structure and exterior design The most arresting features of the Sydney Opera House are, of course, its overlapping concrete shells, or sails. —Michael Y. Park, Architectural Digest, 9 Dec. 2024

That variation, called the surface code, is based on two overlapping grids of physical qubits. —Ben Brubaker, Quanta Magazine, 9 Dec. 2024

Citizens and corporations alike struggle with overlapping, outdated laws. —Brooke Seipel, Fortune, 4 Dec. 2024

When that was at last remedied, this novel transported me into a richly human world of overlapping stories both heartbreaking and heart-lifting. —The Week Us, theweek, 3 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1704, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Kids Definition

overlap

verb

over·​lap ˌō-vər-ˈlap 

1

: to lay or lie over (something) so as to partly cover

that piece overlaps the edge

2

: to have something in common

political and social interests that often overlap

3

: to occupy the same area in part

the photos overlap

overlap

ˈō-vər-ˌlap 

noun