overstep

[oh-ver-step]

See more synonyms for overstep on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), o·ver·stepped, o·ver·step·ping.

to go beyond; exceed: to overstep one's authority.

Origin of overstep

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for overstep

Contemporary Examples

I'd enjoy seeing a trillion dollar coin minted purely for the deservedly righteous indignation such an overstep would create.
Why Not Mint a 100 Trillion Dollar Platinum Coin?
January 4, 2013
Will they overstep and abuse their mandate, turning themselves into a perfect foil for a resurgent Barack Obama?
Capitol Hill's New Ruling Class
Lloyd Grove
November 3, 2010
There, he sold a number of political caricatures that were careful not to overstep Nazi lines.
When Hitler Was a Punchline
Rudolph Herzog
May 14, 2011

Historical Examples

His praise was as close to fulsome flattery as it could be and not overstep the mark.
Cap'n Dan's Daughter
Joseph C. Lincoln
If we overstep the limit this country will get too hot for us.
Oh, You Tex!
William Macleod Raine
And so, if I overstep the usual limits, who will comment on that?
The History of Sir Richard Calmady
Lucas Malet
In this he must use judgment and not overstep their intelligence too far.
Great Pianists on Piano Playing
James Francis Cooke
In all this they are perfectly right, if they do not overstep the limits of the sphere of nature.
The Critique of Pure Reason
Immanuel Kant

British Dictionary definitions for overstep

overstep

verb -steps, -stepping or -stepped

(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

Word Origin and History for overstep

v.

Old English ofersteppan "to step over or beyond, cross, exceed;" see over- + step (v.). From the beginning used in figurative senses. Related: Overstepped; overstepping.

overstep

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}overstep

Examples from the Web for overstep

Contemporary Examples

I'd enjoy seeing a trillion dollar coin minted purely for the deservedly righteous indignation such an overstep would create.

Will they overstep and abuse their mandate, turning themselves into a perfect foil for a resurgent Barack Obama?

There, he sold a number of political caricatures that were careful not to overstep Nazi lines.

Historical Examples

His praise was as close to fulsome flattery as it could be and not overstep the mark.

If we overstep the limit this country will get too hot for us.

And so, if I overstep the usual limits, who will comment on that?

In this he must use judgment and not overstep their intelligence too far.

In all this they are perfectly right, if they do not overstep the limits of the sphere of nature.

overstep

Word Origin and History for overstep

v.

Origin of overstep