overwrite
Americanverb (used with object)
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to write in too elaborate, burdensome, diffuse, or prolix a style.
He overwrites his essays to the point of absurdity.
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to write in excess of the requirements, especially so as to defeat the original intention.
That young playwright tends to overwrite her big scenes.
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to write on or over; cover with writing.
a flyleaf overwritten with a dedication.
verb (used without object)
verb
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to write (something) in an excessively ornate or prolix style
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to write too much about (someone or something)
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to write on top of (other writing)
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to record on a storage medium, such as a magnetic disk, thus destroying what was originally recorded there
Etymology
Origin of overwrite
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.
In more than 250 of these, the incident had not been recorded, there was a system fault, the footage was of an unusable quality, or it had already been overwritten.
From BBC
There’s no denying “Goat” has a vibrant aesthetic, but that alone can’t overwrite its defects.
From Los Angeles Times
"What we've tried to do is respect those tunes and not overwrite them, the melodies stay central, but they're presented differently. That sense of respect is something people really seem to respond to," Coyle explained.
From BBC
“Not just in helping people conduct research, but also advocacy at the federal government level and, absent their help, maintaining a refuge where research cannot easily be deleted or overwritten.”
From Salon
Depending on the rules you’ve set for yourself, this might be the moment for a small, intentional grocery shop: a handful of items meant to support what’s already in your kitchen, not overwrite it.
From Salon
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.
