oversell
verb
over·sell
ˌō-vər-ˈsel 
oversold
ˌō-vər-ˈsōld
; overselling
; overselling
1
a
: to sell too much or too many to
b
: to sell too much or too many of
2
: to make excessive claims for
Examples of oversell in a Sentence
Hotels routinely oversell their rooms, expecting a small percentage of no-shows.
Don't oversell yourself in the job interview.
The salesman oversold the features on the new model.
Recent Examples on the Web
The benefits of such institutions should not be oversold.
—
Adam S. Posen, Foreign Affairs, 13 Feb. 2018
Central authorities continue to oversell their progress on the battlefield while underinvesting in measures to address northeastern Nigeria’s abysmal poverty and marginality.
—Hilary Matfess, Foreign Affairs, 21 Mar. 2016
App developers are trying to avoid the pitfalls of previous smartphone-psychiatry startups, some of which oversold their capabilities before validating their technologies.
—IEEE Spectrum, 19 May 2024
In some cases, a flight may be oversold in the economy cabin, but there could be some space in first or business class.
—Stefanie Waldek, Travel + Leisure, 10 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for oversell 
Adam S. Posen, Foreign Affairs, 13 Feb. 2018
Central authorities continue to oversell their progress on the battlefield while underinvesting in measures to address northeastern Nigeria’s abysmal poverty and marginality.
—Hilary Matfess, Foreign Affairs, 21 Mar. 2016
App developers are trying to avoid the pitfalls of previous smartphone-psychiatry startups, some of which oversold their capabilities before validating their technologies.
—IEEE Spectrum, 19 May 2024
In some cases, a flight may be oversold in the economy cabin, but there could be some space in first or business class.
—Stefanie Waldek, Travel + Leisure, 10 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for oversell
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'oversell.' 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 oversell
Cite this Entry
“Oversell.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oversell. Accessed 4 Jul. 2024.
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