overshadow

verb

over·​shad·​ow ˌō-vər-ˈsha-(ˌ)dō How to pronounce overshadow (audio)
overshadowed; overshadowing; overshadows

transitive verb

1
: to cast a shadow over
2
: to exceed in importance : outweigh

Examples of overshadow in a Sentence

The pitcher's outstanding performance should not overshadow the achievements of the rest of the team. large trees overshadow the yard and darken the house for much of the day
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.
But more importantly, conversations about money shouldn’t overshadow what’s really at stake: whether all families in Encinitas can access educational choice within the public school system. Letters To The Editor, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 July 2025 Take the backlash against Tesla, whose role as a champion of eco-friendly vehicles has been largely overshadowed by alarm concerning CEO Elon Musk’s political activism. Dax Dasilva, Forbes.com, 11 July 2025 But that has been overshadowed by this week's announcement of steep U.S. tariffs on many Asian countries and U.S. allies that include 25% on Japan, South Korea and Malaysia, 32% for Indonesia, 36% for Thailand and Cambodia and 40% on Myanmar and Laos. Daphne Psaledakis, USA Today, 11 July 2025 These scandals can’t overshadow how many hundreds of millions of people the UN helps directly every year with access to health, food, water, rights and education and more. Isabelle Mayault, The Dial, 8 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for overshadow

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Overshadow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overshadow. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

overshadow

verb
over·​shad·​ow -ˈshad-ō How to pronounce overshadow (audio)
1
: to cast a shadow over : darken
2
: to become more important than : outweigh
the win overshadowed the player's injury

More from Merriam-Webster on overshadow

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!