1
as in to coat
to form a layer over
you should apply a coat of primer first, and then overlay it with two coats of paint
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in to overlap
to lie over parts of one another
cedar shingles overlaying one another on the roof
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of overlay
Graphics overlays, including bars, Giphys, and Stickers, live in the Content Library tab.
—
PCMAG, 15 Mar. 2025
Color filters overlay the instrument's detector array to separate light entering the telescope into its component wavelengths, a process known as spectroscopy.
—Ars Technica, 13 Mar. 2025
Drop feels even more claustrophobic when Landon overlays Violet’s messages onto the screen.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Mar. 2025
The floor-length frock was overlaid with a bewitching black and yellow patchwork print.
—Edward Segarra, USA TODAY, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overlay
PCMAG, 15 Mar. 2025
Color filters overlay the instrument's detector array to separate light entering the telescope into its component wavelengths, a process known as spectroscopy.
—Ars Technica, 13 Mar. 2025
Drop feels even more claustrophobic when Landon overlays Violet’s messages onto the screen.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Mar. 2025
The floor-length frock was overlaid with a bewitching black and yellow patchwork print.
—Edward Segarra, USA TODAY, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overlay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overlay
Verb
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It’s entirely made of cotton that has been coated with polyvinyl to create a sturdy material with the look of pebbled leather, which is as water-resistant and stain-repellent as hide.—
Miles Walls,
Better Homes & Gardens,
20 Apr. 2025
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Its dust-laden winds can create visibility issues for aviation and reduce the efficiency of solar farms by coating photovoltaic panels with dust and haze.—
Christophe Lavaysse,
JSTOR Daily,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Dire wolves did overlap with early humans at the end of the Ice Age, around 11,500 years ago, but humans had barely invented agriculture at that point, let alone begun building the cities and interstate highways that would encroach upon the natural world.—
Andrea Marks,
Rolling Stone,
12 Apr. 2025
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As a result, grass pollen increasingly overlaps with the ragweed pollen season, which itself has been extended by more than three weeks in some parts of the country since 1995.—
Umair Irfan,
Wired News,
5 Apr. 2025
Verb
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More: Obamacare covers cancer screening and cholesterol meds.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
22 Apr. 2025
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Birmingham police received a 911 call at around 5 p.m. local time that day, and found a car covered with bullet holes soon after.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
People.com,
21 Apr. 2025
Verb
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But Maduro’s numbers have been widely discredited by both domestic and international observers, based on both polling prior to the election and tally sheets the opposition was able to recover from voting machines before Maduro’s forces shut down the count.—
Rafael Bernal,
The Hill,
9 Jan. 2025
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Failure to confront and anticipate social and environmental issues and their consequences is being sheeted back to boards and executives.—
The Sorenson Impact Institute,
Forbes,
21 Oct. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Overlay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overlay. Accessed 27 Apr. 2025.
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