Thesaurus results for OVERLAY

overlay

verb

ˌō-vər-ˈlā

Definition of overlay

as in to coat

to form a layer over you should apply a coat of primer first, and then overlay it with two coats of paint

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in to overlap

to lie over parts of one another cedar shingles overlaying one another on the roof

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of overlay In his imagination these eruptive landscapes overlaid each other like palimpsests. — Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2026 The transformation program can then overlay and challenge that roadmap. — Simon Wells, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026 That’s why Mariella Satow created SignUp, a Chrome extension that overlays a sign-language interpreter onto popular films and TV shows. — Matthew Huff, Time, 15 Oct. 2026 The Democratic National Committee has also sued over the ads, which show numerous images of the president overlaid with quotes from recent speeches demeaning communism while also crediting himself for the largest tax cuts in history. — Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill, 13 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for overlay

Recent Examples of Synonyms for overlay

Verb

There are six packets of seaweed snacks that are very lightly coated in a sweet and spicy barbecue sauce.

— Alex Beggs, Bon Appetit Magazine, 21 Oct. 2026
The scientific payoff that followed included remote-sensing work that confirmed Bennu's surface is coated in carbon-bearing compounds.

— Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of coat

Verb

Those priorities overlap with issues Griffin and his investment firm have pursued in Tallahassee.

— Luisa Yanez, Miami Herald, 24 Oct. 2026
The song develops into a slow-burn, lighters-up jam, its long, unhurried coda like getting lost in a sea of echoing, overlapping memories.

— Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of overlap

Verb

The carbon covers the grip, the thumb rest, and the soft-release button, the spots a photographer touches most.

— Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
Still, though, the White House has selectively denied CNN access to cover the president's travel on Air Force One -- no fewer than four times to date, Boutrous wrote.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of cover

Verb

The only places doing any business were the coffee shops, and building-supply houses where customers were buying nails and sheeting to batten down against the blow.

— Gerald R. Hunter, Outdoor Life, 15 Oct. 2026
The field where my daughter played soccer is now sheeted in plastic while the state decides what to do next.

— James Whorton Jr, Longreads, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of sheet

Browse Nearby Words

overlarge

overlay

overlaying

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Overlay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overlay. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of overlay

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

milieu

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes