overblow

American  

[oh-ver-bloh] / ˌoʊ vərˈbloʊ /

verb (used with object)

overblew, overblown, overblowing

1. to give excessive importance or value to.

   to overblow one's own writing.

2. to overinflate.

3. to blow over the surface of, as the wind, sand, or the like.

   dead leaves overblowing the yard.

4. to blow (a wind instrument or an organ pipe) in such a way as to produce overtones.

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verb (used without object)

overblew, overblown, overblowing

1. to overblow a wind instrument.

overblow British  

/ ˌəʊvəˈbləʊ /

verb

1. music to blow into (a wind instrument) with greater force than normal in order to obtain a harmonic or overtone instead of the fundamental tone

2. to blow (a wind instrument) or (of a wind instrument) to be blown too hard

3. to blow over, away, or across

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Etymology

Origin of overblow

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at over-, blow ²

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

overblow overblew overblowing overblown

“There’s a performative aspect where employees overblow their usage of AI so that they appear relevant in the organization,” says Andrea Derler, principal researcher at Visier, which helps companies track and analyze employee work habits.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026

I’ve just always tried to be ethical and responsible and not overblow a situation or oversell a storm.

From Slate ● Sep. 30, 2022

But the overblow and waste has many analysts and public officials scratching their heads.

From Fox News ● May 1, 2020

There was nary a flub in the woodwinds, the brass didn’t overblow and the strings played with bold sinew.

From Washington Post ● Sep. 30, 2016

Finding it was likely to overblow, we took in our sprit-sail, and stood by to hand the fore-sail; but making foul weather, we looked the guns were all fast, and handed the mizen. 

From Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift

The ship started very well, but the wind "overblew the tide"; she caught in the dock-gates, and settled hard upon the ground, so that there was no possibility of launching her that day.

From Men of Invention and Industry by Samuel Smiles

Mao was introduced to readers as the “Chairman of the Chinese Central Soviet Government”—vastly overblowing his true political status in China.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 13, 2026

“It gets a little bit different as we get down to really the final two games, making sure that everybody’s understanding of the circumstances but we’re not overblowing any situation or any game.”

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 14, 2024

“It was, ‘Oh, this is media pollution, you’re overblowing this,’” she recalled.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 24, 2020

"I think the attorney general's critics are overblowing what this is," Yoo said.

From Fox News ● Apr. 17, 2019

The remaining notes are obtained by cross fingering and by overblowing the notes of the fundamental scale a twelfth as far as A♭ which forms the normal compass.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 3, Part 1, Slice 3 "Banks" to "Bassoon" by Various

Getting here now — typing away while I sniffle with a cold, a life I wouldn’t change for the world — required carefully deflating a rapidly overblown ego.

From Salon ● Oct. 12, 2026

Some might call such fears melodramatic, or overblown.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 27, 2026

They added that fears around a Japanese-driven carry trade unwind are overblown.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 23, 2026

However, some industry figures have said the fears were overblown and were being jumped on to generate hype for the industry.

From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026

Cell phone industry officials said that the fact traffic deaths hadn’t soared meant that distraction from electronic gadgets was being overblown as a threat.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel

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