overpromise

verb

over·​prom·​ise ˌō-vər-ˈprä-məs How to pronounce overpromise (audio)
overpromised; overpromising

transitive + intransitive

: to promise more than is possible or realistic
Political candidates always overpromise or else the electorate won't bother to show up at their rallies.Michael Gomez
… received sharp criticism for overpromising and underperforming.Industry Week
Then a change in the Facebook algorithm punished click bait, which can tend to overpromise on what it links to. Steep traffic drops followed.Jim Rutenberg
To close a deal, bad vendors tend to overpromise features that they claim will be added down the line but never materialize.Michael Kan

Examples of overpromise in a Sentence

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.
Part of the disillusionment stems from a belief that Trump overpromised and underdelivered. Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 July 2025 Lawyers for the plaintiffs accuse the company of overpromising what its technology can do in order to sell cars. Joel Rose, NPR, 14 July 2025 The issue is that there is a lot of overpromising in finance today, based on what the capabilities of models are. Megan Poinski, Forbes.com, 24 June 2025 At this pivotal moment, AI applications cannot overpromise and under-deliver. Francesco Iorio, Forbes.com, 9 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for overpromise

Word History

First Known Use

1677, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of overpromise was in 1677

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Cite this Entry

“Overpromise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overpromise. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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