overextend
verb
over·ex·tend
ˌō-vər-ik-ˈstend 
overextended; overextending; overextends
: to extend or expand beyond a safe or reasonable point
especially
: to commit (oneself) financially beyond what can be paid
When the interest rate went up, he found he'd overextended himself.
Examples of overextend in a Sentence
He overextended a muscle in his arm.
Recent Examples on the Web
These admissions nod to the warnings of AI bears like investor of Big Short fame Michael Burry, who has alleged that Nvidia and other chipmakers are overextending the useful lives of their chips and that the chips’ eventual depreciation will cause breakdowns in the investment cycle.
—
Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 2 Dec. 2025
Ashley is despondent over how her mom overextends herself for a partner who is dragging her down and leaving her to clean up his messes with no remorse or accountability.
—Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
One year ago, Ukraine was short on manpower and had overextended itself with an incursion into Kursk, Russia.
—Thomas Wright, The Atlantic, 11 Nov. 2025
Right now, you’re overextended.
—R. Eric Thomas, Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Overextend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overextend. Accessed 7 Dec. 2025.
Kids Definition
overextend
verb
over·ex·tend
ˌō-vər-ik-ˈstend
: to extend or expand beyond a safe or reasonable point
especially
: to commit (oneself) financially beyond what can be paid
Medical Definition
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