overpass
Americannoun
verb (used with object)
-
to pass over or traverse (a region, space, etc.).
We had overpassed the frontier during the night.
-
to pass beyond (specified limits, bounds, etc.); exceed; overstep; transgress.
to overpass the bounds of good judgment.
-
to get over (obstacles, difficulties, etc.); surmount.
to overpass the early days of privation and uncertainty.
-
to go beyond, exceed, or surpass.
Greed had somehow overpassed humanitarianism.
-
to pass through (time, experiences, etc.).
to overpass one's apprenticeship.
-
to overlook; ignore; disregard; omit.
We could hardly overpass such grievous faults. The board overpassed him when promotions were awarded.
verb (used without object)
noun
verb
-
to pass over, through, or across
-
to exceed
-
to get over
-
to ignore
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
overpasssimple
-
overpassessimple
-
have overpassedperfect
-
have overpastperfect
-
has overpassedperfect
-
has overpastperfect
-
am overpassingprogressive
-
are overpassingprogressive
-
is overpassingprogressive
-
have been overpassingperfect progressive
-
has been overpassingperfect progressive
Past
-
overpassedsimple
-
overpastsimple
-
had overpassedperfect
-
had overpastperfect
-
was overpassingprogressive
-
were overpassingprogressive
-
had been overpassingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of overpass
Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; see origin at over-, pass
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:
In October 2022, a rare protest at a highway overpass in Beijing prompted authorities to post security officials at dozens of city overpasses, particularly ahead of notable political events and anniversaries—a practice that continues today.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
The colossal concrete building, which floats over the corridor and has been likened by some to a freeway overpass, shielded visitors from the bright sun.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 21, 2026
The force was called at about noon on 29 January to junction 17 westbound in Conwy Morfa, under the A547 overpass.
From BBC ● Feb. 2, 2026
He painstakingly hangs up a variety of Rams banners on the overpass fences and then stands behind them on a concrete walkway waving a yellow Rams towel and leading freeway cheers from noon until sundown.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 25, 2026
He anchored his canoe to the overpass and climbed up onto the pavement.
From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers
In October 2022, a rare protest at a highway overpass in Beijing prompted authorities to post security officials at dozens of city overpasses, particularly ahead of notable political events and anniversaries—a practice that continues today.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
Parallel to the tramway, much of Alexandria's iconic corniche is now hidden behind overpasses, private businesses and beachside food courts.
From Barron's ● Feb. 25, 2026
Guards have been stationed 24 hours a day at the entrances to overpasses and bridges to prevent any protests, some of them in army uniforms.
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2025
After the riots in 1992, what was considered a proper canvas for the street artist expanded beyond the city’s buses, freeway overpasses, and walls of the L.A. river and local businesses.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2024
He’d been hearing about the New Orleanians stranded under highway overpasses, and he didn’t want to be among them.
From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers
"We could do a better job of getting pucks through. Maybe even shooting a little bit more. I think we overpassed at times."
From Fox News ● Mar. 3, 2022
They overpassed on some possessions, turning down layups and shooting 3’s instead.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 26, 2021
The Coyotes made it a two-goal lead 11:57 into the second period when the Capitals’ fourth line overpassed on an odd-man rush, leading to a turnover.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 11, 2018
“I thought we overpassed the puck early in the game for sure,” Pittsburgh coach Mike Johnston said.
From Washington Times ● Apr. 21, 2015
Sir William Dawson had considerably overpassed the span of life of which the Psalmist speaks: it was 'by reason of strength' that it was for him well-nigh fourscore years.
From McGill and its Story, 1821-1921 by MacMillan, Cyrus
This was the girl’s first night under the naked heaven; and now that her fears were overpast, she was touched to the soul by its serene amenity and peace.
From The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson - Swanston Edition Vol. 7 (of 25) by Stevenson, Robert Louis
And now that the chance of killing frosts was overpast, Odalie and Fifine were grubbing much of the time in the ground and Hamish often came and grubbed too.
From The Story of Old Fort Loudon by Murfree, Mary Noailles
The ten miles of road were overpast, the carriage left, the mountain climbed.
From Frondes Agrestes Readings in 'Modern Painters' by Ruskin, John
During the French Revolution its surrender was demanded for the purpose of covering the guns; fortunately, however, a priest succeeded in concealing it until that storm was overpast.
From The Art of Needle-work, from the Earliest Ages, 3rd ed. Including Some Notices of the Ancient Historical Tapestries by Menzies, Sutherland, fl. 1840-1883
Bridges have been re-erected, damages repaired, and the business community have risen from under it with the elasticity of a sapling oak after the tempest has overpast.
From Forest Life and Forest Trees: comprising winter camp-life among the loggers, and wild-wood adventure. with Descriptions of lumbering operations on the various rivers of Maine and New Brunswick by Springer, John S.
And could stand to shoot the puck more rather than overpassing.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 29, 2022
“We’re actually probably overpassing laterally and sending pucks quickly through the slot that needed to just be put softly on net and make it chaos and a huge mess in front,” Johnson said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 11, 2022
Spooked, their forwards started overpassing whenever they got deep into the Capitals’ zone.
From New York Times ● May 13, 2013
One bridge spans the Pacific from the State of Washington to Siberia, overpassing the island of Sakhalin en route.
From Time Magazine Archive
The time has come for conference, but not yet for any facile overpassing of the facts and reasons for historical separations.
From The War and Unity Being Lectures Delivered At The Local Lectures Summer Meeting Of The University Of Cambridge, 1918 by Cranage, D. H. S. (David Herbert Somerset)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
