Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- transitive verb To go beyond (a limit); exceed.
from The Century Dictionary.
- To step over or beyond; exceed.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- transitive verb To step over or beyond; to transgress.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- verb transitive To go too far beyond (a limit); especially, to cross
boundaries or exceednorms orconventions .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- verb pass beyond (limits or boundaries)
- verb be superior or better than some standard
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
Support
Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word overstep.
Examples
-
Ms. Bysiewicz ordered polls to stay open—which some called an overstep of her authority—and called the election for Mr. Malloy, a fellow Democrat, before all the votes were tallied.
Senate Hopeful Faces Questions Shelly Banjo 2011
-
The terms overstep a resolution passed by the Bundestag limiting how far she could go in committing Germany to any form of transfer union or pooling of debts.
Telegraph.co.uk - Telegraph online, Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph 2011
-
I think grandparents can kind of overstep their boundaries.
-
When I saw a Negro walking down the street I knew what it was like to have people look at you, watch what you're doing, watch close if you 'overstep' the line.
Caught in the Crossfire: Adrian Scott and the Politics of Americanism in 1940s Hollywood 2007
-
AZ didn't "overstep" their authority, they amended it.
-
A group of private high profile business citizens to advise the government, and make sure the government does not "overstep" their boundaries, and redistribute money to unworthy areas, groups, causes, etc.
Hot Air » Top Picks 2008
-
"Government shouldn't be raising kids, and we kind of overstep our bounds a lot of the time.
-
Wide boys and chancers are opportunists who might well overstep slightly the boundaries of the law in order to get the best deal.
-
Although Beck has freedom of speech, there is the possibility that one day he will overstep the line between free speech and commit incitement to riot or a crime.
-
They say Congress is authorized to regulate behavior to protect public safety or welfare, but federal lawmakers overstep the constitutional limits of their power when they begin ordering Americans to purchase certain products.
Comments
Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.