over·night
ˌō-vər-ˈnīt 
1
a
: on the evening before
b
: during the night
stayed away overnight
2
: very quickly or suddenly
became famous overnight
over·night
ˌō-vər-ˈnīt
over·night
ˈō-vər-ˌnīt
ˌō-vər-ˈnīt
ˌō-vər-ˈnīt
overnighted; overnighting; overnights
: to stay overnight
: to send (something, such as a package or letter) by a mail service for delivery within one day's time
over·night
ˈō-vər-ˌnīt
: an overnight stay
Examples of overnight in a Sentence
Adverb
He stayed overnight and went home the next day.
Let the paint dry overnight.
The novel made her famous overnight.
Adjective
They went on an overnight bus trip.
Overnight guests are not allowed in the dormitory.
The show was an overnight success.
Recent Examples on the Web
Lisa Lerer, New York Times, 28 May 2024
Construction crews will close portions of Industrial Avenue in Roseville overnight starting next month as the city continues a multi-million dollar roadway project.
—Camila Pedrosa, Sacramento Bee, 28 May 2024
Albert Stumm, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 May 2024
Local officials recently cleared encampments there and passed a measure than bans overnight camping along the banks.
—Dionne Searcey, New York Times, 25 May 2024
Stefanie Waldek, Travel + Leisure, 25 Oct. 2023
This video is showing Covariant’s robotic picking system operating (for over an hour at 10x speed) in a warehouse that handles logistics for a company called Obeta, which overnights orders of electrical supplies to electricians in Germany.
—IEEE Spectrum, 29 Jan. 2020
Joshua Hammer, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 May 2024
Sleeping in the car, front-country camping, or truck-bed overnights are better with a giant blanket.
—Maggie Slepian, Travel + Leisure, 10 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for overnight 
Adverb
Nine days after Donald Trump won the 2016 election, the halls of the Mayflower Hotel, just blocks from the White House, were adorned with twinkling Christmas lights and abuzz with the possibilities of a future that had changed overnight.
—Lisa Lerer, New York Times, 28 May 2024
Construction crews will close portions of Industrial Avenue in Roseville overnight starting next month as the city continues a multi-million dollar roadway project.
—Camila Pedrosa, Sacramento Bee, 28 May 2024
Adjective
Several national railways and private operators have moved in to meet the rising demand, and the result is a patchwork of overnight routes sold at over 30 different websites.
—Albert Stumm, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 May 2024
Local officials recently cleared encampments there and passed a measure than bans overnight camping along the banks.
—Dionne Searcey, New York Times, 25 May 2024
Verb
Star Legend will sail 16 week-long cruises between Rome and Barcelona, visiting Florence and Pisa in Italy; Monte Carlo, Monaco (where the ship will overnight); and Marseille, France.
—Stefanie Waldek, Travel + Leisure, 25 Oct. 2023
This video is showing Covariant’s robotic picking system operating (for over an hour at 10x speed) in a warehouse that handles logistics for a company called Obeta, which overnights orders of electrical supplies to electricians in Germany.
—IEEE Spectrum, 29 Jan. 2020
Noun
Because of the absence of camping facilities, a van met us at the end of each day, shuttled us to inns for dinners and overnights, and drove us to a new trailhead the next morning.
—Joshua Hammer, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 May 2024
Sleeping in the car, front-country camping, or truck-bed overnights are better with a giant blanket.
—Maggie Slepian, Travel + Leisure, 10 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for overnight
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'overnight.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near overnight
Cite this Entry
“Overnight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overnight. Accessed 6 Jun. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
overnight
1 of 2 adverb
over·night
ˌō-vər-ˈnīt
1
: on or during the evening or night
stayed away overnight
2
: very quickly or suddenly
became famous overnight
overnight
2 of 2 adjective1
: of, lasting, or staying the night
overnight trip
an overnight guest
2
: sudden sense 1
overnight stardom
3
: traveling during the night
an overnight train
4
: delivered within one day's time
overnight mail
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