Synonyms

overstep

American

[oh-ver-step] / ˌoʊ vərˈstɛp /

verb (used with object)

overstepped, overstepping

to go beyond; exceed.

to overstep one's authority.

overstep British

/ ˌəʊvəˈstɛp /

verb

(tr) to go beyond (a certain or proper limit)

"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

Etymology

Origin of overstep

before 1000; Middle English oversteppen, Old English ofersteppan. See over-, step

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.

Last year, the justices issued temporary orders to block several of his initiatives, but Friday’s ruling is the first to hold that the president overstepped his legal authority.

From Los Angeles Times

“Local law enforcement must not be complicit through silence or inaction when federal agents overstep legal and ethical boundaries,” Duarte said.

From Los Angeles Times

While offside against Haaland was technically correct in law, it was an overstep by the VAR.

From BBC

Politicians have always overstepped boundaries and bent rules.

From Salon

I want to teach my young relative good money habits without overstepping the parents’ authority.

From MarketWatch

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023