Meaning & use
overlap
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Meanings
verbtransitive or intransitive
To lie partly on top of something else so that part of each is covered.
Grammar: Can take an object or stand alone: the tiles overlap; overlap the edges.
Patterns
- overlap something
- overlap with something
Roof tiles overlap so rain runs off.
Overlap the two sheets by an inch before you glue them.
The circles in the diagram overlap in the middle.
verbtransitive or intransitive
To share part of the same time, subject or responsibility with something else.
Grammar: Often followed by with: our shifts overlap with theirs.
Patterns
- overlap with something
- overlap in time
My shift overlaps with hers by an hour.
The two courses overlap in several topics.
Their duties overlap, which causes confusion.
nouncountable or uncountable
The part that two or more things share, or the amount by which they cover one another.
Grammar: Often used with between: an overlap between the two subjects.
Patterns
- an overlap between things
- overlap of something
There is a lot of overlap between the two jobs.
Leave a two-inch overlap when you hang the wallpaper.
A short overlap in schedules lets the staff swap information.
Word forms
| third person singular | overlaps |
|---|---|
| past tense | overlapped |
| past participle | overlapped |
| -ing form | overlapping |
Common combinations
- overlap with
- Her interests overlap with mine.
- considerable overlap
- There is considerable overlap between the two reports.
- overlap slightly
- The two tiles overlap slightly.
- overlapping responsibilities
- Overlapping responsibilities led to arguments.
- a slight overlap
- A slight overlap in the schedules lets us hand over smoothly.
Synonyms and how they differ
- coincide
- Coincide suggests events or times happening together, rather than things physically covering each other.
- intersect
- Intersect is used for lines and roads that cross at a point, while overlap involves a shared area.
- duplicate
- Duplicate suggests unnecessary repetition, while overlap only means partial sharing.
- cover
- Cover can mean to hide completely, while overlap means to cover only a part.
Opposites
Word family
- overlapping adjective
- partly covering or sharing
- overlapped adjective
- partly covered
- overlay verb
- to cover a surface with a layer
- underlap verb
- a rare term for lying partly beneath another
Commonly confused: overlap or overlay? overlap or overlook?
overlap vs overlay
Overlay means to cover a surface with another layer, while overlap means to share part of the same space or time.
overlap vs overlook
Overlook means to miss something, or to have a view over it, and does not mean to cover partly.
Practice
The two meetings are scheduled from 2 to 4 and from 3 to 5, so they ___ for an hour.
Choose one answer.
Overlap means to share part of the same time. Overlay means to cover with a layer, and overlook and oversee have other meanings.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “overlap”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.