overshoot

[ verb oh-ver-shoot; noun oh-ver-shoot ]

/ verb ˌoʊ vərˈʃut; noun ˈoʊ vərˌʃut /

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verb (used with object), o·ver·shot, o·ver·shoot·ing.

to shoot or go over, beyond, or above; miss: The missile overshot its target.

to pass or go by or beyond (a point, limit, etc.): to overshoot a stop sign.

to shoot or pour down over: turbulent water overshooting the top of the dam.

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.

(of an aircraft or pilot) to fly too far along (a landing strip) in attempting to land.

verb (used without object), o·ver·shot, o·ver·shoot·ing.

to fly or go beyond.

to shoot over or above a mark.

noun

a shooting beyond a specified point or target: two overshoots in the missile test series.

the amount of excessive distance in a trajectory or route: a two-mile overshoot on the artillery range.

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Origin of overshoot

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English oversheten, overshoten; over- + shoot¹

Words nearby overshoot

overshadow, overshare, overshine, overshirt, overshoe, overshoot, overshot, overshot wheel, overside, oversight, oversimplify

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

How to use overshoot in a sentence

That’s fodder for future research—but even without an overshoot effect, these results add support to the idea that you can and probably should taper your strength training at least a week before a big race.
When to Stop Strength Training Before a Big Race|Alex Hutchinson|January 13, 2021|Outside Online
They frequently overshoot on the upside, inflating values, reputations, and egos far above their underlying value.
Why Ron Johnson Couldn’t Save JCPenney|Daniel Gross|April 8, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Well, one reason why upturns follow downturns is that downturns tend to overshoot.
Interview With Edmund Phelps|The Daily Beast|July 13, 2009|DAILY BEAST
There is a concept in financial maelstroms known as the overshoot.
The Scrappy Entrepreneurs Who Will Save Media|Peter Osnos|May 12, 2009|DAILY BEAST

"Say about a couple of thousand ounces and you overshoot it," Peters answered.
Colonial Born|G. Firth Scott
After being low it would come up too suddenly, overshoot the mark, only to be steered downwards again equally suddenly.
Marvels of Scientific Invention|Thomas W. Corbin
But stop he must or he would overshoot his mark a half-mile before he found the level.
Harper's Round Table, October 22, 1895|Various
It may again overshoot the mark, but by repeated corrections it finally attains the normal upright posture.
Rustic Sounds|Francis Darwin
You are overrating the effects of our failure—you never seem to be able to do anything but overshoot your mark.
Three Dramas|Bjrnstjerne M. Bjrnson

British Dictionary definitions for overshoot

overshoot

/ (ˌəʊvəˈʃuːt) /

verb -shoots, -shooting or -shot

to shoot or go beyond (a mark or target)

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

(tr) to pass swiftly over or down over, as water over a wheel

noun

an act or instance of overshooting

the extent of such overshooting

a momentary excessive response of an electrical or mechanical system

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

overshoot

Origin of overshoot

Words nearby overshoot

Words related to overshoot

How to use overshoot in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for overshoot