: extremely or excessively flamboyant or outrageous
an over-the-top performance

Examples of over-the-top in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web And the fourth stage of realignment — raucous, demotic, performative, over-the-top, transgressive, and potentially earth-shattering — is about to begin. Matthew Continetti, National Review, 16 Mar. 2024 The brand took notes from the overcrowded beer market, where over-the-top designs catch the eye of overwhelmed customers. Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 15 Mar. 2024 What news organizations can do now, however, is forcefully acknowledge that the deposition transcript poured cold water on Hur’s over-the-top characterization of Biden’s mental fitness. Oliver Darcy, CNN, 13 Mar. 2024 That’s the verdict from the red carpet at Oscars 2024, which served up a plethora of looks that were often dramatic, sometimes over-the-top and grand, and occasionally just simply dazzling. Laurie Brookins, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Mar. 2024 He’s dealt a slight disadvantage in this regard since his character is written as an over-the-top, wide-eyed optimist with colorful quirks — a Manic Pixie Dream Boy for the introverted Doom. Courtney Howard, Variety, 7 Mar. 2024 And now Alex Cooper is sharing her perspective on these over-the-top celebrations. Jordan Greene, Peoplemag, 5 Mar. 2024 And Van Ness, who uses they/he/she pronouns, is beloved for their silly quips and joyous, over-the-top personality. Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 5 Mar. 2024 Gold and green sprinkles take these cupcakes from delicious to deliciously over-the-top for the holiday. Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'over-the-top.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1980, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of over-the-top was in 1980

Dictionary Entries Near over-the-top

Cite this Entry

“Over-the-top.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/over-the-top. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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