over one's head
Idioms-
To a position higher than another's, as in She was furious when her assistant was promoted over her head . Similarly, go over someone's head means “appeal to a higher authority,” as in Since she couldn't help me, I decided to go over her head and talk to her supervisor . [Mid-1500s]
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Beyond one's understanding or competence, as in The math required to complete these figures is way over my head . [Early 1600s] For a synonym, see out of one's depth . Also see in deep (over one's head) .
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.
As such, it can be easier to get in over one’s head.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 31, 2026
Paralyzing traffic is one symptom; the increasingly absurd price of putting a roof over one’s head is another.
From New York Times ● May 7, 2018
Pouring a bucket of ice water over one’s head, quite frankly, is.
From Salon ● Aug. 21, 2014
For others, any roof over one’s head is better than none.
From New York Times ● Mar. 1, 2011
Here there are hundreds of miles of land lying waste, and so rich that the grass towers far over one's head in walking.
From The Personal Life of David Livingstone by William Garden Blaikie
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.
