as in rejected
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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Recent Examples of overruled
On Wednesday, the Minnesota Supreme Court overruled the lower courts, reopening the case by sending it back to the district court to reinstate the wage-theft claims for further proceedings.
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Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 7 Jan. 2026
The decision blocking that evidence was appealed to the state’s high court, which overruled the lower courts last month and found that police were justified in seizing the evidence without a warrant.
—Tim Stelloh, NBC news, 4 Jan. 2026
According to Rob Shuter, William warned the King that allowing the princesses to walk with the rest of the family wasn’t a great idea, but the King overruled him.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 30 Dec. 2025
As mayor, Higgins has no authority over the city bureaucracy but does have the power to hire and fire the city manager — provided she isn’t overruled by the City Commission.
—Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 29 Dec. 2025
Those states — including Texas — would be able to enforce those bans if the precedent set by Obergefell is overruled.
—Samantha Riedel, Them., 22 Dec. 2025
Anderson overruled him and gave it to SDSU.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Dec. 2025
Murphy was temporarily reinstated under court order, then fired again when an appeals court overruled that order.
—Andrea Hsu, NPR, 18 Dec. 2025
Chiwenga also opposes corruption by government and Zanu PF officials but was overruled at the party’s October conference.
—Tawanda Karombo, semafor.com, 31 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overruled
Verb
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Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a liberal Democrat with a pragmatist bent, instantly rejected the suggestion that Mamdani represented the new face of the Democratic Party.—
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Demonstrators argued that taxpayer money should not be used to harm or kill innocent people and rejected claims that the killing of Good was an act of self-defense.—
Verb
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The domestic violence case was dismissed and the theft charge had yet to be disputed in court.—
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Carrie, meanwhile, is villainized for her admittedly deluded quest to reunite with her biological son in a world that has dismissed them.—
Verb
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At the time, ICE had requested local officials hold him in jail, but that request was denied, the affidavit said.—
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The agency that was set to investigate before being denied access to evidence and case materials is called the Force Investigations Unit of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, part of the Department of Public Safety.—
Verb
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Google, Meta, Microsoft’s LinkedIn, and Elon Musk’s X have all delayed, adjusted, or flat-out refused to launch AI products because of the bloc’s laws.—
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And the defense refused to yield.—
Verb
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Even humble fiber, often ignored in favor of flashy nutrients, plays a massive role.—
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The Legislature should also consider the fact that Florida’s public integrity laws are all too frequently ignored.—
Cite this Entry
“Overruled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overruled. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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