overboard

adverb

over·​board ˈō-vər-ˌbȯrd How to pronounce overboard (audio)
1
: over the side of a ship or boat into the water
2
: to extremes of enthusiasm
3
: into discard : aside

Examples of overboard in a Sentence

He threw the fish overboard. The boy fell overboard and almost drowned. One of the sailors fell into the water, and someone shouted “Man overboard!”.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The 40-foot homemade boat was overloaded with 64 people, who panicked and jumped overboard after De La Rosa began stabbing people, a Homeland Security Investigations criminal complaint states. — David Goodhue october 12, Miami Herald, 12 Oct. 2026 The Navy has reported that there were eight suicide attempts aboard the carrier during the deployment, including one sailor who jumped overboard and was later rescued. — ABC News, 8 Oct. 2026 This summer, news reports revealed that multiple sailors had attempted to jump overboard amid shortages of fresh food, disruptions to hot water and laundry services and exhaustion. — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026 Meadows fell overboard from the Aleutian Lady approximately 170 miles north of Dutch Harbor, Alaska, earlier this year. — Nicholas Rice, PEOPLE, 27 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for overboard

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of overboard was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing overboard

Rhymes for overboard

See All Rhymes for overboard

Browse Nearby Words

overblown
overboard
overboil
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Overboard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overboard. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

overboard

adverb
over·​board ˈō-vər-ˌbō(ə)rd How to pronounce overboard (audio)
-ˌbȯ(ə)rd
1
: over the side of a ship into the water
2
: to extremes of enthusiasm
go overboard for a new fad
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