as in to stereotype
to use so much as to make less appealing
she had overused that joke to the point where it was eliciting groans and not guffaws
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of overuse
For instance, common side effects of overusing aspirin, ibuprofen, and other NSAIDs (or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) include peptic ulcers, GI bleeding, acute kidney injury, and even chronic kidney disease.
—
Dr. Baibing Chen, CNBC, 27 May 2025
The risks of overusing BNPL are obvious − miss payments, and your credit score could tank − but there's an upside: Buyers who pay on time stand to boost their scores.
—USA Today, 4 July 2025
Sure, hygge has been overused a bit in the last few years (candles, fuzzy socks, etc.), but the real idea behind it is simple: comfort and connection.
—Jordi Lippe-McGraw, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
Some of them include washing with harsh shampoos, particularly those with sulfates or alcohol; overusing scalp scrubs or clarifying products; and not washing frequently enough.
—Jamie Wilson, Glamour, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for overuse
Dr. Baibing Chen, CNBC, 27 May 2025
The risks of overusing BNPL are obvious − miss payments, and your credit score could tank − but there's an upside: Buyers who pay on time stand to boost their scores.
—USA Today, 4 July 2025
Sure, hygge has been overused a bit in the last few years (candles, fuzzy socks, etc.), but the real idea behind it is simple: comfort and connection.
—Jordi Lippe-McGraw, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
Some of them include washing with harsh shampoos, particularly those with sulfates or alcohol; overusing scalp scrubs or clarifying products; and not washing frequently enough.
—Jamie Wilson, Glamour, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for overuse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overuse
Verb
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This is, of course, a tremendously unfair characterization of the lunch lady, who, given her profession of feeding hungry children, ought to be stereotyped as saintly rather than monstrous.—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
17 Aug. 2025
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People On The Spectrum Can And Do Enjoy Romantic Connections People with autism have long been stereotyped as emotionally distant or uninterested in romance and sexuality.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
30 July 2025
Verb
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Lock Focus And Adjust Exposure To stop your iPhone from overexposing the bright moon, tap and hold on the moon in your camera preview to lock focus.—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
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At the top of the lineup, Ceci was overexposed, leading to some awful on-ice stats that probably would’ve looked fine if he was simply used in a more appropriate role.—
Dom Luszczyszyn,
New York Times,
18 June 2025
Verb
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Open innovation, popularized by Procter & Gamble’s Connect and Develop program in the late ‘90s, tapped outside partners for breakthroughs and fueled at one time over half of its new products.—
Robert B. Tucker,
Forbes.com,
26 Aug. 2025
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Cropped close to the head and brighter than the average phone screen, the look has been popularized by actress Emma Stone and, as of this week, internet perma-crush Keke Palmer.—
Morgan Fargo,
Vogue,
25 Aug. 2025
Verb
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His versions were full-blooded, with lush strings and reasonably large orchestras — and, purists alleged — vulgarizing distortions.—
BostonGlobe.com,
BostonGlobe.com,
28 Oct. 2019
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Ever since his rise to power, Trump has served as a vulgarizing agent.—
Leon Neyfakh,
Slate Magazine,
2 June 2017
Verb
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Their unvarnished alt-rock was led by wild-eyed singer Matt Shultz, a human rubber band who exhausted himself despite his vocals disappearing into the strong breeze.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
26 Aug. 2025
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Our teams have exhausted all resources and personnel over the last 20 days.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
21 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The concern, of course, is that this is the equivalent of overdoing one of those now-trendy max-protein diets: It's based on a core of solid research about building healthy muscle, but too much protein can overwhelm the body's ability to metabolize it.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
9 Aug. 2025
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Don't overdo it: Broccoli and other cruciferous veggies like cabbage, kale, and Brussels sprouts contain goitrogens, a compound that can interfere with thyroid function in very high amounts when eaten raw, so there can be such a thing as too much.—
Caitlin Pagán,
Verywell Health,
1 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Richmond was kind of one of the very first short-tracks that was getting the, 'Oh man, this is kind of boring' type-feel, right?—
Saajan Jogia,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Aug. 2025
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Create a content cadence that reinforces your position without boring anyone.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
14 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Overuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overuse. Accessed 3 Sep. 2025.
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