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.

Relief washes over me that Mom didn’t overstep, but now I feel stupid, because I’ve just given her dirt on me that I didn’t want her to have.

From Literature

Roan has shown that she’s not afraid to speak out when she does feel a fan has overstepped.

From Los Angeles Times

But navigating the ins and outs of stories that intertwine without overstepping has required nimbleness.

From Los Angeles Times

Pike testified that it was not his job “to overstep and tell him what to do. He earned that rank.”

From Los Angeles Times

In a 6-3 decision, justices on the highest US court found that the president had overstepped his powers when he introduced sweeping global tariffs last year using the IEEPA.

From BBC

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