overbook
Americanverb (used with object)
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overbooks,
present (3rd person singular)
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overbooked,
past participle, past
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overbooking
present participle
verb (used without object)
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overbooks,
present (3rd person singular)
-
overbooked,
past participle, past
-
overbooking
present participle
verb
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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overbooksimple
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overbookssimple
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have overbookedperfect
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has overbookedperfect
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am overbookingprogressive
-
are overbookingprogressive
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is overbookingprogressive
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have been overbookingperfect progressive
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has been overbookingperfect progressive
Past
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overbookedsimple
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had overbookedperfect
-
was overbookingprogressive
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were overbookingprogressive
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had been overbookingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of overbook
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:
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
Just as airlines overbook seats, planemakers typically sell more aircraft than they plan to produce to protect themselves from airlines going bankrupt or failing to take delivery.
From Reuters ● Feb. 6, 2018
"Does that mean we should overbook flights and start charging for everything? We don't think so."
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 12, 2018
Hotels need to acknowledge that guaranteed reservations are contracts, just as airlines do when they overbook flights.
From New York Times ● Feb. 8, 2011
The same way an airline overbooks tickets for a flight, if all the passengers show up, the airline must compensate the ones who are bumped from the plane.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 31, 2023
The company also overbooks technicians, leading to late and missed appointments, and relies heavily on contract labor, where quality control can be difficult.
From The Verge ● Aug. 19, 2014
For instance, the line commonly overbooks, and sometimes on domestic flights extra passengers squeeze aboard as standees.
From Time Magazine Archive
Lewis, was overbooked, but knew Hopkins played piano and asked if he also composed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
A hotel receptionist said rooms that were overbooked just a few weeks ago now stood empty.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 20, 2026
Take a sailing aboard Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas earlier this month that departed from Fort Lauderdale, Fla. According to reports, the ship was likely overbooked.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 19, 2026
"You could turn up ready to pay for your hotel on arrival and the hotel had a better offer and became overbooked."
From BBC ● Dec. 4, 2025
"Sir, it seems that the flight has been accidentally overbooked, by about 300 people."
From Terminal Compromise: computer terrorism: when privacy and freedom are the victims: a novel by Winn Schwartau
For those looking to avoid even the slightest possibility of dealing with an overbooking situation, experts advise taking certain precautions.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 19, 2026
He added that the crunch in supply could be amplified because of overbooking by manufacturers eager to lock in much-needed components.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 11, 2026
The overbooking conundrum builds to a sentimental speech from Kermit and a feel-good ending set to Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 4, 2026
To address this uncertainty, the researchers propose the use of "overbooking" to allow them to increase the tile size, as well as a way to tolerate it if the tile doesn't fit the buffer.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 31, 2023
What’s more, airlines practice their own form of deception by overbooking their flights and hoping some passengers don’t show up.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 26, 2023
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
