Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • transitive verb To be more than a match for; exceed or defeat.
  • transitive verb To match with a superior opponent.
  • noun A contest in which one opponent is distinctly superior.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To be more than a match for; oppose with superior force, numbers, skill, etc.; surpass; outdo: commonly in the past participle.
  • To give in marriage above one's station.
  • noun One who or that which is more than a match; one who or that which is too powerful, skilful, difficult, etc., to be overcome.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb To be more than equal to or a match for; hence, to vanquish.
  • transitive verb obsolete To marry (one) to a superior.
  • noun One superior in power; also, an unequal match; a contest in which one of the opponents is overmatched.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A match in which one opponent is very superior to the other
  • verb To match more than intended

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

over- +‎ match

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Examples

  • I hope, in this turn of the Gregorian Wheel, you overmatch it, as much as you need or want to.

    2010, whether we like it or not. greygirlbeast 2010

  • With repeal of health-care reform and the rest of the Obama agenda on the line, the president hopes that a newly energized base of public employee unions, minorities, and the poor will overmatch the coalition of “haves” trying to take their new benefits away.

    Radical-In-Chief Stanley Kurtz 2010

  • Anyway, this thing looks like a reasonable opponent to the Khanda sword, and probably something that would easily overmatch the curved Talwar blade, if that had been used.

    Rajput Warrior vs. Roman Centurion 2010

  • Anyway, this thing looks like a reasonable opponent to the Khanda sword, and probably something that would easily overmatch the curved Talwar blade, if that had been used.

    Rajput Warrior vs. Roman Centurion 2010

  • The urge to bolt, to flee, was strong, and he was afraid it would overmatch his better judgment.

    Guild Wars: Ghosts of Ascalon Matt Forbeck 2010

  • With repeal of health-care reform and the rest of the Obama agenda on the line, the president hopes that a newly energized base of public employee unions, minorities, and the poor will overmatch the coalition of “haves” trying to take their new benefits away.

    Radical-In-Chief Stanley Kurtz 2010

  • Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has questioned whether the U.S. military "can really afford a Navy that relies on $3 billion to $6 billion destroyers, $7 billion submarines and $11 billion carriers" given that the service has a "massive overmatch" compared with others, and the Navy's top admiral recently warned that new ships could face a procurement squeeze.

    Navy poised to pick builder of new Littoral Combat Ship this summer 2010

  • The urge to bolt, to flee, was strong, and he was afraid it would overmatch his better judgment.

    Guild Wars: Ghosts of Ascalon Matt Forbeck 2010

  • Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has questioned whether the U.S. military "can really afford a Navy that relies on $3 billion to $6 billion destroyers, $7 billion submarines and $11 billion carriers" given that the service has a "massive overmatch" compared with others, and the Navy's top admiral recently warned that new ships could face a procurement squeeze.

    Navy poised to pick builder of new Littoral Combat Ship this summer 2010

  • The urge to bolt, to flee, was strong, and he was afraid it would overmatch his better judgment.

    Guild Wars: Ghosts of Ascalon Matt Forbeck 2010

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