overpromise
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
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:
Once-a-day sunscreens overpromise and rarely last as long as they claim to, experts warn.
From BBC ● Jun. 19, 2026
Most media acquisitions overpromise synergies, underdeliver creativity and destroy capital.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 8, 2025
She didn’t overpromise, and neither did the actual science that inspired this.
From Slate ● Jun. 28, 2025
At the same time, he says, “in science, it’s good to play a bit of devil’s advocate” rather than overpromise a result that turns out to be incorrect.
From Scientific American ● May 11, 2023
“But on the other stuff, did Roc Nation overpromise on what they could accomplish?”
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 11, 2022
I felt like, “Oh, so this man overpromised and delivered.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 6, 2024
Despite getting rave reviews on the West Coast, it’s clear from your reporting that Zum overpromised and underdelivered in Howard County.
From Slate ● Sep. 14, 2023
They claimed to pay more for their glasses than if LensCrafters had not overpromised and underdelivered.
From Reuters ● Aug. 1, 2023
For his part, Mr. Ramaswamy said that criticism that he overpromised was missing the point.
From New York Times ● Jun. 27, 2023
The main source of disagreement was from Inslee, who earlier expressed concerns that the proposed plan overpromised on what it could deliver, while underspending on maintenance and the State Patrol.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 25, 2023
Was this a classic case of overpromising and underdelivering?
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 18, 2026
That helps the airline avoid overpromising and being forced to later cut its expectations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 25, 2026
But investors have gotten used to Musk’s overpromising over the years.
From MarketWatch ● Dec. 26, 2025
And the unexpected return of Oasis's iconic Mancunian contemporaries The Stone Roses in 2011, after a 20-year absence, highlighted the danger of overpromising and underdelivering.
From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2024
The last levy was widely viewed as overpromising and went through a “reset” to recalibrate expectations, though many of the originally proposed projects have either been completed or are in progress.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 4, 2024
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
