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:
“Preston was quite a showman. And he had a tendency to overpromise what he could deliver, particularly with the obstacles he was faced with,” Lieberman says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 8, 2026
Swinney has to try and inspire his followers on the independence question, but he also doesn't want to overpromise.
From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2025
She didn’t overpromise, and neither did the actual science that inspired this.
From Slate ● Jun. 28, 2025
In some cases, he has found, “they overpromise the likely results of these trials and create false hope.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2023
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
The water was originally divided among the states in 1922 under an agreement that overpromised what the river could provide.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
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
Chriss stumbled out of the gate, overpromising to “shock the world” with a suite of product announcements that failed to inspire.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026
Was this a classic case of overpromising and underdelivering?
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 18, 2026
But investors have gotten used to Musk’s overpromising over the years.
From MarketWatch ● Dec. 26, 2025
Hancock, who was in charge of the health department through much of the pandemic, developed a reputation in Downing Street for "overpromising and underdelivering," she added.
From BBC ● Nov. 20, 2025
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.
