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

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

My lord, be not dismay'd for what is past;     You know that women oft are humorous:     These clouds will overblow with little wind;     Let me alone, I'll scatter them myself.

From The Spanish Tragedy by Thomas Kyd

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

Military officials have disputed that there are severe issues afflicting the ship, and some veterans have also suggested that the accounts in the media are overblown.

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026

Some argued that the fears of displacement from AI are overblown.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026

But people following the situation also say claims that Syrskiy doesn’t have what it takes to run an increasingly technological war are overblown.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026

Acts of piracy by Tripoli, Jefferson’s main excuse for fighting, were overblown as well.

From Salon ● Jul. 4, 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