overshoot
Americanverb (used with object)
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to shoot or go over, beyond, or above; miss.
The missile overshot its target.
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to pass or go by or beyond (a point, limit, etc.).
to overshoot a stop sign.
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to shoot or pour down over.
turbulent water overshooting the top of the dam.
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to overreach (oneself or itself); go further than is intended or proper; go too far.
It looked as though his self-confidence had overshot itself.
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(of an aircraft or pilot) to fly too far along (a landing strip) in attempting to land.
verb (used without object)
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to fly or go beyond.
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to shoot over or above a mark.
noun
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a shooting beyond a specified point or target.
two overshoots in the missile test series.
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the amount of excessive distance in a trajectory or route.
a two-mile overshoot on the artillery range.
verb
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to shoot or go beyond (a mark or target)
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to cause (an aircraft) to fly or taxi too far along (a runway) during landing or taking off, or (of an aircraft) to fly or taxi too far along a runway
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(tr) to pass swiftly over or down over, as water over a wheel
noun
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an act or instance of overshooting
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the extent of such overshooting
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a momentary excessive response of an electrical or mechanical system
Etymology
Origin of overshoot
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English oversheten, overshoten; over- + shoot 1 ( def. )
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.
The typical consequence is that bond rallies tend to overshoot, with the result that they reverse in the subsequent month.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 20, 2026
The Fed typically hesitates to respond to price spikes caused by changes in energy prices, which are known for being bumpy, but she said the persistent overshoot might make that "harder to do this time".
From BBC • Mar. 11, 2026
“Don’t overshoot, do it over a number of weeks,” he says.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 29, 2025
“When we go through these investment cycles, there are moments we overshoot as an industry,” Pichai said in an interview with the BBC, released on Tuesday.
From Barron's • Nov. 18, 2025
Jason and Frank were forced to overshoot the Argo II and fly toward Fort Sumter.
From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan
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.
