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  • all-over
    all-over
    adjective
    covering the entire surface
  • all over
    all over

    Everywhere. The phrase may be used alone, as in I've looked all over for that book , or The very thought of poison ivy makes me itch all over . In addition it can be used as a preposition, meaning “throughout,” as in The news spread all over town . [Early 1600s] Also see far and wide .

Synonyms

all-over

British  

adjective

  1. covering the entire surface

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

all over Idioms  
  1. Everywhere. The phrase may be used alone, as in I've looked all over for that book , or The very thought of poison ivy makes me itch all over . In addition it can be used as a preposition, meaning “throughout,” as in The news spread all over town . [Early 1600s] Also see far and wide .

  2. In all respects, as in He is his Aunt Mary all over . Charles Lamb had this usage in a letter (1799) about a poem: “The last lines ... are Burns all over.” [Early 1700s]

  3. Also, all over again . Again from the beginning. For example, They're going to play the piece all over , or Do you mean you're starting all over again? [Mid-1500s]

  4. Also, all over with . Quite finished, completed, as in By the time I arrived the game was all over , or Now that she passed the test, her problems are all over with . This phrase uses over in the sense of “finished,” a usage dating from the 1300s. Also see all over but the shouting ; have it (all over) , def. 4.


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

A cordon was put in place and emergency workers in all-over protective clothing examined the scene, but no trace of any hazardous substance was found.

From BBC Jul. 30, 2024

The shoes feature an all-over sandy suede, with gold and jade accents on the shank plate and outsole.

From Los Angeles Times May 13, 2024

“If you decide to make a big statement with an all-over colored tile, let that be the hero and think about how other elements in the room support that hero,” she says.

From Seattle Times Jul. 13, 2022

It's the perfect, just-set icing on top of pastries, cookies, and cakes at your favorite bakeries — perhaps most identified as the all-over glaze atop petit fours.

From Salon Dec. 19, 2021

Her neck and wrists were bare, and her hair was a mess—a pile, an all-over glob of red curls.

From "Eleanor & Park" by Rainbow Rowell

The singers of the Bard Festival Chorale were a game group, swarming all over the stage.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 28, 2026

In the wake of their DNA test results, the family was all over the media.

From Salon Jul. 27, 2026

The Liuzzo family was harassed for their mother’s activism even after her death, but the event galvanized activists all over the country, becoming one impetus for Congress to finally pass the landmark 1965 legislation.

From Slate Jul. 27, 2026

Wildberries employs tens of thousands of people across Russia, with warehouses and pickup locations all over the massive country -- reaching even remote areas of Russia.

From Barron's Jul. 24, 2026

A few minutes later it was all over.

From "Firegirl" by Tony Abbott

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