as in exceeding
to go beyond the limit of
the principal overstepped her authority in ordering everyone to remain in the unheated school
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Recent Examples of overstepping
After Republicans retook the House in 2010, the view among conservatives was that President Barack Obama was overstepping his powers out of frustration with congressional inaction.
—
Jonathan Blitzer, The New Yorker, 10 Mar. 2025
Fellow Redditors shared the consensus that the bride is not treating her sister fairly and is overstepping by asking her to help cover some of the wedding costs.
—Erin Clack, People.com, 6 Mar. 2025
Coaches must navigate bureaucracy, enhance influence without overstepping and align personal growth with organizational values to balance individual and collective priorities.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2025
Then, the series shows a doctor overstepping ethical bounds and taking justice into her own hands.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 20 Feb. 2025
Similarly, Focus on the Family addressed the issue of overstepping in-laws, noting that while empathy for their emotions is important, couples need to be firm in their decisions.
—Justin Gest, Newsweek, 11 Feb. 2025
Normally Congress could exercise its authority to prevent the president overstepping his power, but the Republican majority hasn't signaled its willingness to do such a thing, according to Levitt; instead, some Republicans are beginning to propose just the opposite.
—Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 9 Feb. 2025
Many Reddit users have sided with the poster, claiming her father is overstepping.
—Ashley Vega, People.com, 5 Feb. 2025
This time, the executive branch is led by a president who seems intent on testing, and often overstepping, conventional and even constitutional limits on presidential power.
—David Greising, Chicago Tribune, 31 Jan. 2025
Jonathan Blitzer, The New Yorker, 10 Mar. 2025
Fellow Redditors shared the consensus that the bride is not treating her sister fairly and is overstepping by asking her to help cover some of the wedding costs.
—Erin Clack, People.com, 6 Mar. 2025
Coaches must navigate bureaucracy, enhance influence without overstepping and align personal growth with organizational values to balance individual and collective priorities.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2025
Then, the series shows a doctor overstepping ethical bounds and taking justice into her own hands.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 20 Feb. 2025
Similarly, Focus on the Family addressed the issue of overstepping in-laws, noting that while empathy for their emotions is important, couples need to be firm in their decisions.
—Justin Gest, Newsweek, 11 Feb. 2025
Normally Congress could exercise its authority to prevent the president overstepping his power, but the Republican majority hasn't signaled its willingness to do such a thing, according to Levitt; instead, some Republicans are beginning to propose just the opposite.
—Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 9 Feb. 2025
Many Reddit users have sided with the poster, claiming her father is overstepping.
—Ashley Vega, People.com, 5 Feb. 2025
This time, the executive branch is led by a president who seems intent on testing, and often overstepping, conventional and even constitutional limits on presidential power.
—David Greising, Chicago Tribune, 31 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Overstepping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overstepping. Accessed 17 Apr. 2025.
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