overlay

verb

ˌō-vər-ˈlā How to pronounce overlay (audio)
Definition of overlaynext
1
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

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2
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 Inspired by this, Carlito overlaid the Robusto’s Cameroon wrapper with a Dominican Corojo wrapper. — Richard Carleton Hacker, Robb Report, 19 June 2026 The veil of past and present, for example, takes an abstract turn in Altar I, while Todos los santos (Para subir al Cielo) shows a cemetery with various cross-shaped tombstones, with a ladder leaning on a wall spectrally overlaid on the image. — Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 22 May 2026 With a white leather upper, Fire Red Jumpman branding and accents and the sneaker’s iconic gray elephant print overlays, the White Cement Air Jordan 3 is widely praised as one of the top pairs in athletic footwear history. — Riley Jones, Footwear News, 20 May 2026 Another photo was overlaid with a Black Lives Matter filter in remembrance of Atatiana Jefferson, the Black woman who was fatally shot by a Fort Worth police officer in 2019. — Kamal Morgan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for overlay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overlay
  1. coat
  2. overlap
  3. cover
  4. sheet
Verb
  • But the real pleasure is the 303 basslines that squirm in between the drums, coating the soundscapes of the tracks in grime and noxious soot.
    — Andrew Ryce, Pitchfork, 1 July 2026
  • Morning mist coated the nearby Rhone River that snakes through the Alpine valley as worshippers flocked in.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 July 2026
Definition of coat
Verb
  • That means defining how and when to see the lights themselves, and how our aurora season overlaps with the polar bears and belugas.
    — Cody Chomiak, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
  • That nine year window overlaps almost exactly with the stretch when treatment offers the most protection for brain health, so the delay carries real cost.
    — Allison Palmer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 July 2026
Definition of overlap
Verb
  • Witnesses expressed shock over the incident, with one man arriving to his Walmart to shop and finding the parking lot covered in crime scene tape.
    — Ana Maria Soler, CBS News, 1 July 2026
  • The technology has drawn public controversy since Detroit first signed a contract covering certain police precincts in 2020, and again in late 2022.
    — Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of cover
Verb
  • The offer sheet comes 14 years after the Flyers, under previous management, offer-sheeting Nashville defenseman Shea Weber for $110 million over 14 years, which the Predators matched.
    — Dan Gelston, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026
  • Both Bestor and architect Tim Barber, who counts Matt Duffer and Ramin Djawadi as clients, employ Densdeck Roof Boards and Densinglas sheeting, a fiberglass-matt gypsum panel considered sustainable because of its durability and recycled content, in their work.
    — Abigail Stone, HollywoodReporter, 22 Apr. 2026
Definition of sheet

Browse Nearby Words

overlarge
overlay
overlaying
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Overlay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overlay. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on overlay

Nglish: Translation of overlay for Spanish Speakers

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