overstep

verb

over·​step ˌō-vər-ˈstep How to pronounce overstep (audio)
overstepped; overstepping; oversteps

Examples of overstep in a Sentence

the principal overstepped her authority in ordering everyone to remain in the unheated school
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
On the same day that the agency issued the rule, two bank lobby groups, the Bank Policy Institute and the Kentucky Bankers Association, sued the CFPB, claiming the regulator overstepped its authority. Luisa Beltran, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2024 Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft accused the DOJ of overstepping its authority and using its monitors to punish red states that have tightened voter identification laws, the Washington Post reports. Sareen Habeshian, Axios, 1 Nov. 2024 Incidents like the sieges at Ruby Ridge and Waco in the early 1990s, the latter of which resulted in dozens of deaths, would be used as further evidence by figures like Mack who already believed the federal government was overstepping. David Gilbert, WIRED, 24 Oct. 2024 The 55-year-old has a taste for provocation and is known for deliberately overstepping accepted boundaries. Stephanie Liechtenstein, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for overstep 

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of overstep was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near overstep

Cite this Entry

“Overstep.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overstep. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

overstep

verb
over·​step -ˈstep How to pronounce overstep (audio)
: to step over or beyond : exceed
overstepped their authority

More from Merriam-Webster on overstep

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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