overmatch

[ oh-ver-mach ]

/ ˌoʊ vərˈmætʃ /

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verb (used with object)

to be more than a match for; surpass; defeat: an assignment that clearly overmatched his abilities; an able task force that overmatched the enemy fleet.

to match (a competitor) against another of superior strength, ability, or the like.

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Origin of overmatch

First recorded in 1300–50, overmatch is from the Middle English word overmacchen.See over-, match²

Words nearby overmatch

overlord, overly, overman, overmantel, overmaster, overmatch, overmatter, overmeasure, overmodulation, overmorrow, overmuch

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use overmatch in a sentence

Since 1950, storms that overmatch design specifications for infrastructure like dikes and dams have become increasingly common around the country, according to a 2019 study published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.
U.S. Civil Engineers Bent the Rules to Give New Orleans Extra Protection from Hurricanes. Those Adjustments Might Have Saved the City During Ida|Alejandro de la Garza|September 2, 2021|Time
It is not too much to say that the conqueror of Port Republic was an overmatch in strategy and technique of war for his opponents.
The Broken Sword|Dennison Worthington
The late king of Prussia was more than once pitted against his imperial sovereign; and commonly proved an overmatch for him.
The Federalist Papers|Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison
The rich returns of honest labor render harmless temptations which would prove an overmatch for the average virtue of New England.
International Weekly Miscellany Vol. I. No. 3, July 15, 1850|Various

No facts or evidence can prove an overmatch for the inherited convictions of a thousand generations.
The World's Sixteen Crucified Saviors|Kersey Graves
He certainly would be an overmatch for me, I knew, should I try to stand up to him, but that was not my intention.
In the Mountains|Elizabeth von Arnim

British Dictionary definitions for overmatch

overmatch

/ mainly US /

verb (ˌəʊvəˈmætʃ) (tr)

to be more than a match for

to match with a superior opponent

noun (ˈəʊvəˌmætʃ)

a person superior in ability

a match in which one contestant is superior

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012