overshoot the mark

verb

Roget 549: exaggerate, magnify, pile up, aggravate; amplify etc. (expand) 194; overestimate etc. 482; hyperbolize; overcharge, overstate, overdraw, overlay, overshoot the mark, overpraise; make over much, over the most of; strain, strain over a point; stretch, stretch a point; go great lengths; spin a long yarn; draw with a longbow, shoot with a longbow; deal in the marvelous.    out-Herod Herod, run riot, talk at random.    heighten, overcolor^†; color highly, color too highly; broder^†; flourish; color etc. (misrepresent) 544; puff etc. (boast) 884.    ... show more

Roget 699: be unskillful etc. adj.; not see an inch beyond one's nose; blunder, bungle, boggle, fumble, botch, bitch, flounder, stumble, trip; hobble etc. 275; put one's foot in it; make a mess of, make hash of, make sad work of; overshoot the mark.    play tricks with, play Puck, mismanage, misconduct, misdirect, misapply, missend.    stultify oneself, make a fool of oneself, commit oneself; act foolishly; play the fool; put oneself out of court; lose control, lose control of oneself, lose one's head, lose one's cunning.    begin at the wrong end; do things by halves etc. (not complete) 730; make two bites of a cherry; play at cross purposes; strain at a gnat and swallow a camel etc. (caprice) 608; put the cart before the horse; lock the stable door when the horse is stolen etc. (too late) 135.    not know what one is about, not know one's own interest, not know on which side one's bread is buttered; stand in one's own light, quarrel with one's bread and butter, throw a stone in one's own garden, kill the goose which lays the golden eggs, pay dear for one's whistle, cut one's own throat, bum one's fingers; knock one's head against a stone wall, beat one's head against a stone wall; fall into a trap, catch a Tartar, bring the house about one's ears; have too many eggs in one basket (imprudent) 863, have too many irons in the fire.    mistake etc. 495; take the shadow for the substance etc. (credulity) 486; bark up the wrong tree; be in the wrong box, aim at a pigeon and kill a crow; take the wrong pig by the tail, get the wrong pig by the tail, get the wrong sow by the ear, get the dirty end of the stick; put the saddle on the wrong horse, put a square peg into a round hole, put new wine into old bottles.    cut blocks with a razor; hold a farthing candle to the sun etc. (useless) 645; fight with a shadow, grasp at a shadow; catch at straws, lean on a broken reed, reckon without one's host, pursue a wild goose chase; go on a fool's goose chase, sleeveless errand; go further and fare worse; lose one's way, miss one's way; fail etc. 732.    ... show more

Roget 641: superabound, overabound^†; know no bounds, swarm; meet one at every turn; creep with, crawl with, bristle with; overflow; run over, flow over, well over, brim over; run riot; overrun, overstock, overlay, overcharge, overdose, overfeed, overburden, overload, overdo, overwhelm, overshoot the mark etc. (go beyond) 303; surcharge, supersaturate, gorge, glut, load, drench, whelm, inundate, deluge, flood; drug, drug the market; hepatize^†.    choke, cloy, accloy^†, suffocate; pile up, lay on thick; impregnate with; lavish etc. (squander) 818.    send coals to Newcastle, carry coals to Newcastle, carry owls to Athens^†; teach one's grandmother to suck eggs; pisces natare docere [Lat.]; kill the slain, gild refined gold," gild the lily," butter one's bread on both sides, put butter upon bacon; employ a steam engine to crack a nut etc. (waste) 638.    exaggerate etc. 549; wallow in roll in etc. (plenty) 639; remain on one's hands, hang heavy on hand, go a begging.    ... show more

Roget 303: transgress, surpass, pass; go beyond, go by; show in front, come to the front; shoot ahead of; steal a march upon, steal a gain upon.    overstep, overpass, overreach, overgo^†, override, overleap, overjump^†, overskip^†, overlap, overshoot the mark; outstrip, outleap, outjump, outgo, outstep^†, outrun, outride, outrival, outdo; beat, beat hollow; distance; leave in the lurch, leave in the rear; throw into the shade; exceed, transcend, surmount; soar etc. (rise) 305.    encroach, trespass, infringe, trench upon, entrench on, intrench on^†; strain; stretch a point, strain a point; cross the Rubicon.    ... show more

Roget 682: be active etc. adj.; busy oneself in; stir, stir about, stir one's stumps; bestir oneself, rouse oneself; speed, hasten, peg away, lay about one, bustle, fuss; raise up, kick up a dust; push; make a push, make a fuss, make a stir; go ahead, push forward; fight one's way, elbow one's way; make progress etc. 282; toll etc. (labor) 686; plod, persist etc. (persevere) 604.1; keep up the ball, keep the pot boiling.    look sharp; have all one's eyes about one etc. (vigilance) 459; rise, arouse oneself, hustle, get up early, be about, keep moving, steal a march, kill two birds with one stone; seize the opportunity etc. 134, lose no time, not lose a moment, make the most of one's time, not suffer the grass to grow under one's feet, improve the shining hour, make short work of; dash off; make haste etc. 684; do one's best take pains etc. (exert oneself) 686; do wonders, work wonders.    have many irons in the fire, have one's hands full, have much on one's hands; have other things to do, have other fish to fry; be busy; not have a moment to spare, not have a moment that one can call one's own.    have one's fling, run the round of; go all lengths, stick at nothing, run riot.    outdo; overdo, overact, overlay, overshoot the mark; make a toil of a pleasure.    have a hand in etc. (act in) 680; take an active part, put in one's oar, have a finger in the pie, mix oneself up with, trouble, one's head about, intrigue; agitate.    tamper with, meddle, moil; intermeddle, interfere, interpose; obtrude; poke one's nose in, thrust one's nose in.    ... show more

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