as in to reject
to decide that (something or someone) is wrong; to rule against (something or someone)
The judge overruled the objection. His conviction was overruled by the supreme court.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of overrule
Several of the conservative justices, including Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch, have suggested that decades-old decision should be overruled.
—
Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2026
Starmer says he was not informed that the Foreign Office had overruled the recommendation of security officials in early 2025 not to give Peter Mandelson the job.
—ABC News, 17 Apr. 2026
In this instance, they were overruled by Barr and his deputies, but former officials said this was a rare case in which their guidance was ignored.
—Doug Bock Clark, ProPublica, 13 Apr. 2026
If allowed to stand, this poses problems for utilities, grid operators, and regulators who plan for decades-long timeframes, only to be overruled by short-term political imperatives that favor certain industries.
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for overrule
Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2026
Starmer says he was not informed that the Foreign Office had overruled the recommendation of security officials in early 2025 not to give Peter Mandelson the job.
—ABC News, 17 Apr. 2026
In this instance, they were overruled by Barr and his deputies, but former officials said this was a rare case in which their guidance was ignored.
—Doug Bock Clark, ProPublica, 13 Apr. 2026
If allowed to stand, this poses problems for utilities, grid operators, and regulators who plan for decades-long timeframes, only to be overruled by short-term political imperatives that favor certain industries.
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for overrule
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overrule
Verb
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The court rejected the argument, concluding that a prospective rate hearing — unlike that on the response time — would be considered contested and the utility would have the opportunity to challenge the finding of imprudence then.—
Edmund H. Mahony,
Hartford Courant,
29 Apr. 2026
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The legislation passed with broad bipartisan support in the Senate, but some Republicans rejected the bill, opposing earmarking millions more to maintain the fortified Capitol and equip it with the staff necessary to keep the screenings going.—
Caroline Cummings,
CBS News,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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That lawsuit, along with a countersuit by the PGA Tour, was dismissed a year later.—
Tim Reynolds,
Chicago Tribune,
1 May 2026
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There’s too much effort, too much time, and too much sincerity apparent behind this film to dismiss it outright.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Turkey denies the deaths constituted genocide, saying the toll has been inflated and that those killed were victims of civil war and unrest.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
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If Yahweh, who delivered Israel from bondage and parted the Red Sea, intervenes too soon, some of us will be denied that choice (parable of the wheat and the tares).—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But when the symptoms refused to fade, an MRI revealed something far worse.—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Apr. 2026
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Others rely on patience, research, and the fact that the ground itself refuses to be reduced to one easy headline.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In September 2025, the City Council voted to explore whether Los Angeles could withdraw all legally allowable homelessness funding from LAHSA and instead contract with the county’s new homelessness department.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
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The many attending assistants around her eventually disperse — a little hesitantly because Sam is in the middle of preparing a new show — and the two withdraw to Sam’s cavernous studio.—
Jake Coyle,
Boston Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The federal judge in that case ruled that a jury could find that State Farm had acted in bad faith if the plaintiffs' lawyers demonstrated that the company ignored certain kinds of hail damage.—
Michael Copley,
NPR,
28 Apr. 2026
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In crush, puncture, and saw tests, the battery produced no smoke or flames – a safety profile that's hard to ignore.—
Omar Kardoudi
April 28,
New Atlas,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overrule.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overrule. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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