overtop
Americanverb (used with object)
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overtops,
present (3rd person singular)
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overtopped,
past participle, past
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overtopping
present participle
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to rise over or above the top of.
a skyscraper that overtops all the other buildings.
-
to rise above in authority; take precedence over; override.
No individual shall overtop the law.
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to surpass or excel.
a rise in sales that overtopped everyone in the industry.
noun
verb
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to exceed in height
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to surpass; excel
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to rise over the top of
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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overtopsimple
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overtopssimple
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have overtoppedperfect
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has overtoppedperfect
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am overtoppingprogressive
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are overtoppingprogressive
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is overtoppingprogressive
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have been overtoppingperfect progressive
-
has been overtoppingperfect progressive
Past
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overtoppedsimple
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had overtoppedperfect
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was overtoppingprogressive
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were overtoppingprogressive
-
had been overtoppingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of overtop
Vocabulary lists containing overtop
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.
See Examples For:
In the meantime, you can sometimes see barges with long cylindrical tubes, informally called “sock on a stack,” which are fitted overtop a ship’s exhaust to capture a ship’s diesel exhaust.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2023
The reservoir behind the dam rose to within 1 foot of the dam’s maximum storage capacity, prompting warnings that water could overtop the dam and worsen already-dangerous conditions downstream, or damage the dam.
From Scientific American ● Jul. 13, 2023
Making matters worse: Communities have been built on those floodplains, so when rivers overtop their banks, the water goes into people’s houses rather than replenishing wetland habitats and slowly sinking into the soil.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 10, 2023
If the rivers overtop their banks, water can inundate the plot safely, reducing flood risk downriver.
From New York Times ● Jan. 5, 2023
He screeched insults at the bear, which hearing, the bear reared up and seemed to me to overtop Rocinante.
From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck
Salt water that overtops the underwater sill is still lower in salinity than the water behind the sill toward the Gulf, Jones said.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 5, 2023
Porterville residents evacuate as Lake Success overtops the Schafer Dam spillway.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 16, 2023
And many areas kept dry by canals or higher topography would experience flooding as saltwater overtops barriers.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 9, 2022
In this drone photo released by Duke Energy, flooding from the swollen Cape Fear River overtops an earthen dike at Sutton Lake, a 1,100-acre lake at the L.V.
From Fox News ● Sep. 21, 2018
In height it rises to the very heavens, and overtops the neighbouring buildings like a ship anchored among them.
From The Byzantine Empire by Charles William Chadwick Oman
Defences built five years ago were already being overtopped by floods, she said.
From BBC ● Dec. 9, 2025
After three days of rain, the dam collapsed in May 2020, releasing a torrent that overtopped the downstream Sanford Dam and flooded the city of Midland.
From Washington Times ● Sep. 8, 2023
Dams that are small and located in rural areas may cause less damage if they are overtopped or fail.
From Scientific American ● Jul. 13, 2023
As yet another atmospheric river barrels toward California, residents brace for the threat of engorged rivers and overtopped reservoirs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 9, 2023
Even without them, Steelskin looked formidable—a lean and wiry youth who overtopped Ser Barristan by half a foot.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
People were urged against leaving their homes due to danger from flying debris, coastal overtopping, falling trees and damage to buildings.
From BBC ● Jan. 24, 2025
The smaller debris basins are prone to overtopping.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 24, 2025
Rivers and streams could swell, overtopping their banks and flooding the neighborhoods surrounding them.
From New York Times ● Feb. 5, 2024
But once built, you don’t want water coming through your roof, your siding or your windows — or overtopping your foundation or slab.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 4, 2023
He halted and, with bewildered and horrified eyes, stared round him at the khaki mob, in the midst of which, overtopping it by a full head, he stood.
From "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley
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