overtop
Americanverb (used with object)
-
overtops,
present (3rd person singular)
-
overtopped,
past participle, past
-
overtopping
present participle
-
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.
-
to surpass or excel.
a rise in sales that overtopped everyone in the industry.
noun
verb
-
to exceed in height
-
to surpass; excel
-
to rise over the top of
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
overtopsimple
-
overtopssimple
-
have overtoppedperfect
-
has overtoppedperfect
-
am overtoppingprogressive
-
are overtoppingprogressive
-
is overtoppingprogressive
-
have been overtoppingperfect progressive
-
has been overtoppingperfect progressive
Past
-
overtoppedsimple
-
had overtoppedperfect
-
was overtoppingprogressive
-
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:
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
Rivers, creeks and streams in several areas are once again forecast to overtop — including some, such as the Cosumnes, Salinas and Russian rivers, that are still swollen from a similar storm last week.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 13, 2023
If the rivers overtop their banks, water can inundate the plot safely, reducing flood risk downriver.
From New York Times ● Jan. 5, 2023
Although it’s unclear if another derecho will form on Wednesday, strong to severe thunderstorm are again forecast to erupt overtop the heat dome along a corridor from the northern Rockies to the Mid-Atlantic.
From Washington Post ● Jul. 6, 2022
But a 40-foot wave would easily overtop the walls and destroy everything in its path.
From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland
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
The ocean regularly overtops dunes and washes out much of Highway 12 — the only road linking Hatteras Island and the rest of Dare County.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 6, 2019
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
One act only, overtops the events submerged by time, an event that sober history passed by, little knowing that it was the one fact, richer than all others, in the annals, under its scrutiny.
From Lincoln, the Politician by T. Aaron Levy
Waves overtopped sand dunes on the low-lying island of South Uist.
From BBC ● Jan. 28, 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
Five of the six weirs in the DWR’s Sacramento River Flood Control Project have passively opened after being triggered by overtopped systems.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 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
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
"We don't know what is likely to happen in terms of that overtopping," she told reporters in a briefing.
From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2023
Dam overtopping can result in erosion, which subsequently could lead to a dam breach or failure and a sudden, uncontrolled release of impounded water.
From Scientific American ● Jul. 13, 2023
The waves rose in growing fury, each overtopping its fellow, till in a very few minutes the lately glassy sea was like a roaring and devouring monster.
From "Dracula" by Bram Stoker
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
