overbook

American  

[oh-ver-book] / ˌoʊ vərˈbʊk /

verb (used with object)

overbooks, present (3rd person singular) overbooked, past participle, past overbooking present participle

1. to accept reservations for in excess of the number that can be accommodated.

   The airline routinely overbooks its flights so as to fill its planes even if there are last-minute cancellations.

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verb (used without object)

overbooks, present (3rd person singular) overbooked, past participle, past overbooking present participle

1. to accept reservations in excess of the number that can be accommodated.

   If the hotel has overbooked, some of the conventioners won't have a place to stay.

overbook British  

/ ˈəʊvəˌbuːk /

verb

1. (tr) to make more reservations than there are places, tickets, hotel rooms, etc, available

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

• overbooking
  present
• overbooked
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• overbook
  simple
• overbooks
  simple
• have overbooked
  perfect
• has overbooked
  perfect
• am overbooking
  progressive
• are overbooking
  progressive
• is overbooking
  progressive
• have been overbooking
  perfect progressive
• has been overbooking
  perfect progressive

Past

• overbooked
  simple
• had overbooked
  perfect
• was overbooking
  progressive
• were overbooking
  progressive
• had been overbooking
  perfect progressive

Future

• will overbook
  simple
• will have overbooked
  perfect
• will be overbooking
  progressive
• will have been overbooking
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of overbook

1900–05; over- + book (v.)

Example Sentences

No-shows can run as high as 40% to 50%, the research found, so some clinics overbook appointments to compensate.

From MarketWatch • May 1, 2026

Indiana Health Commissioner Dr. Kristina Box said last week that the wait for an appointment could be extended from three weeks to six weeks or more to ensure the system does not overbook.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 29, 2021

"Does that mean we should overbook flights and start charging for everything? We don't think so."

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 12, 2018

But he dismissed concerns among some investors over mounting deferrals and cancellations of orders because planemakers typically "overbook" to dampen the risk of airline failures.

From Reuters • Jan. 11, 2017

Hotels need to acknowledge that guaranteed reservations are contracts, just as airlines do when they overbook flights.

From New York Times • Feb. 8, 2011