overcommit

American  

[oh-ver-kuh-mit] / ˌoʊ vər kəˈmɪt /

verb (used with object)

overcommitted, overcommitting

1. to commit more than is feasible, desirable, or necessary.

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overcommit British  

/ ˌəʊvəkəˈmɪt /

verb

1. (tr) to promise, undertake, or allocate more than the available resources justify

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Other Word Forms

• overcommitment
  noun

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Etymology

Origin of overcommit

First recorded in 1950–55; over- + commit

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

overcommit overcommitted overcommitting

Some investors said that it has been better to not overcommit after any one development, knowing a reversal might be just a social-media post away.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 13, 2026

These guys commit to a bit, and commit, and commit, and overcommit and keep on going.

From Salon ● Oct. 13, 2025

Neither fighter was willing to overcommit early on and Catterall edged the first two rounds with the cleaner work.

From BBC ● Feb. 15, 2025

Kalms acknowledged the potential for donors to overcommit but said they’ve taken precautions to prevent “going after people that can’t really afford these donations.”

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 2, 2023

Instead of jumping into his assignment right away, Rivera said, Davis could have baited the lineman with an intentionally false step, forced him to overcommit and used his athleticism to evade the block altogether.

From Washington Post ● Dec. 14, 2022

Some who worked with him in the Ministry Of Defence said he had long been warned its budget was already overcommitted, stretching back to the previous government when he served as shadow defence secretary.

From BBC ● Jun. 11, 2026

"You have of LPs out there who are overcommitted and have capital calls and they have to sell at discount."

From Reuters ● Sep. 11, 2023

Messi leisurely carried the ball into the attacking third of the field, but Bogusz had to be aware he could still embarrass a defender who overcommitted and wasn’t about to make that mistake.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2023

Curry deployed high-arcing scoop shots on four occasions, punishing Sacramento’s defense when it overcommitted to the threat posed by his jumper.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 30, 2023

My friends tend to be accomplished, overcommitted people, many of them with busy family lives and heavy-duty jobs.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

Now, the market looks different: U.S. consumers have cooled on the technology, Chinese manufacturers have raced to dominate the market, and European carmakers have stomached tens of billions in write-downs after overcommitting to the segment.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 26, 2026

"There’s a history of growers in Vietnam being fickle in response to market price fluctuations, overcommitting, and then flooding the market with quantities of their new crop," Mr Firth says.

From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2024

“If you find yourself overcommitting to gifts and events and travel around the holidays, could it have something to do with your fear of missing out on what others are doing?” asks Torabi.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 5, 2023

Meg Dudek, her coach and a former goalkeeper, instructs her to stay patient and avoid overcommitting in those situations.

From Washington Post ● Sep. 30, 2021

Farmer remained cautious about overcommitting PIH’s limited resources.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French

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