as in exceeded
to be greater, better, or stronger than
a manager whose arrogance was overtopped only by his ineptitude
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Recent Examples of overtopped
Workers began clearing debris and mud at first light from a catchment area where material had overtopped concrete barriers along the northbound shoulder.
—
Bay City News Service, Mercury News, 21 Feb. 2026
The existing levee was just an inch or two away from being overtopped by floodwaters earlier this month, according to Orting’s mayor, Joshua Penner.
—Evan Bush, NBC news, 21 Dec. 2025
Both rivers have overtopped their banks, affecting residential areas, farmland, and roadways, though gradual declines are expected through Friday and into the weekend.
—Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
Seawalls were overtopped in sections along Fort Lauderdale’s Riverwalk.
—Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2025
In 1941, a huge wave caused by a snow and ice avalanche that fell into Laguna Palcacocha, a glacial lake in the Peruvian Andes, overtopped the moraine dam that had contained the lake for decades.
—Suzanne Oconnell, The Conversation, 13 Aug. 2025
Because the flooding has been a growing concern for Juneau over the past several years, city officials with federal assistance installed emergency flood barriers along several miles of riverbanks in the areas deemed most at risk for being overtopped.
—Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 13 Aug. 2025
Dunes and living levees — gently sloping barriers covered in vegetation — can be overtopped by waves or erode, damaging or possibly rendering nearby homes uninhabitable.
—Lindsey J. Smith, San Francisco Chronicle, 28 Apr. 2022
Bay City News Service, Mercury News, 21 Feb. 2026
The existing levee was just an inch or two away from being overtopped by floodwaters earlier this month, according to Orting’s mayor, Joshua Penner.
—Evan Bush, NBC news, 21 Dec. 2025
Both rivers have overtopped their banks, affecting residential areas, farmland, and roadways, though gradual declines are expected through Friday and into the weekend.
—Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
Seawalls were overtopped in sections along Fort Lauderdale’s Riverwalk.
—Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2025
In 1941, a huge wave caused by a snow and ice avalanche that fell into Laguna Palcacocha, a glacial lake in the Peruvian Andes, overtopped the moraine dam that had contained the lake for decades.
—Suzanne Oconnell, The Conversation, 13 Aug. 2025
Because the flooding has been a growing concern for Juneau over the past several years, city officials with federal assistance installed emergency flood barriers along several miles of riverbanks in the areas deemed most at risk for being overtopped.
—Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 13 Aug. 2025
Dunes and living levees — gently sloping barriers covered in vegetation — can be overtopped by waves or erode, damaging or possibly rendering nearby homes uninhabitable.
—Lindsey J. Smith, San Francisco Chronicle, 28 Apr. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overtopped
Verb
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During key periods like the pandemic boom and another surge in 2025, trading card indexes tracking Pokémon sales posted gains that far exceeded the S&P 500's long-term average annual return of 10% to 12%, according to trading card valuation tool Card Ladder.—
Brandon Gomez,
CNBC,
29 Mar. 2026
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While all samples met federal primary drinking water standards for contaminants, such as lead and copper, every site exceeded secondary standards, which are linked to taste, odor, discoloration, and, critically, corrosion in pipes.—
Bridget Shirvell,
Hartford Courant,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Lowes Foods with four stores surpassed both specialty grocers Fresh Market, with five stores, and Earth Fare, which closed one store and has two left in the region.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The season finale audience was up 30% from the previous week and surpassed the Season 1 finale in 2019, which earned 530,000 viewers.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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At the top of the menu is a Turath Latte, made with a special date and spice blend, then topped with cold foam.—
Jenna Thompson
April 1,
Kansas City Star,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Don’t miss the wood oven pizza like the carbonara topped with egg and guanciale.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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This is the 11th time a member of the Colorado Avalanche or Quebec Nordiques has achieved or eclipsed 50 goals in a regular season.—
Jack Lowenstein,
CBS News,
1 Apr. 2026
-
In doing so, Doncic eclipsed 15,000 career points, as announced by the Lakers.—
Megan Armstrong,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overtopped.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overtopped. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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