over the weekend

USAGE SUMMARY

"over the weekend" is an expression that is commonly used in written English.
You can use it whenever you are referring to the two days on the weekend (Saturday and Sunday). For example: "I'm planning to go on a road trip over the weekend."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

59 human-written examples

over the weekend.

The New York Times

Over the weekend, that changed.

Independent

No talks over the weekend.

The New York Times

Contacts resumed over the weekend.

The New York Times

Over the weekend, the (U.K).

The New Yorker

Over the weekend, that slowly changed.

The New York Times

Violence continued unabated over the weekend.

The Guardian

There were 20 arrests over the weekend.

The New York Times

He flew into Haiti over the weekend.

The New York Times - Sports

This was starkly illustrated over the weekend.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

1 human-written examples

He usually comes over by the weekend.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "over the weekend" to summarize events or activities that occurred during those two days. It's a concise way to group the events of Saturday and Sunday.

Common error

Avoid using "over the weekend" when you mean a specific day like Saturday or Sunday. "Over the weekend" implies both days, not just one.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "over the weekend" functions as an adverbial phrase, modifying a verb or clause by specifying when an action takes place. As Ludwig AI confirms, it describes activities or events occurring during the period encompassing Saturday and Sunday. For example, "Violence continued unabated over the weekend."

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

82%

Academia

8%

Science

5%

Less common in

Formal & Business

2%

Encyclopedias

1%

Wiki

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "over the weekend" is a very common and grammatically correct prepositional phrase used to denote activities or events occurring on Saturday and Sunday. As Ludwig AI states, it is widely used in various contexts, especially in News & Media. While "over the weekend" is generally neutral, you might opt for alternatives like ""during the weekend"" or "on the weekend" depending on the desired level of formality or specific nuance. When using "over the weekend", make sure to avoid confusing it with specific days. You should also avoid using "over the weekends", unless you are referring to multiple distinct weekends.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

during the weekend

Replaces the preposition "over" with "during", maintaining the same meaning.

on the weekend

Uses the preposition "on" instead of "over", indicating a specific time frame.

throughout the weekend

Emphasizes the continuous nature of an event spanning the entire weekend.

this weekend

Specifies the current or upcoming weekend.

that weekend

Refers to a specific weekend previously mentioned or understood.

the past weekend

Indicates the weekend that has just concluded.

the coming weekend

Refers to the upcoming weekend.

from Saturday to Sunday

Explicitly states the days included in the weekend.

between Saturday and Sunday

Similar to "from Saturday to Sunday" but emphasizes the range.

across the weekend

Another way to express that something happens throughout the entire weekend.

FAQs

How can I use "over the weekend" in a sentence?

You can use "over the weekend" to describe events or activities that happen during Saturday and Sunday. For example, "I'm planning a trip "during the weekend"" or "The project was completed "this weekend"."

What's the difference between "on the weekend" and "over the weekend"?

"On the weekend" can sometimes refer to a habitual action that occurs every weekend, while "over the weekend" typically refers to a specific occurrence during a particular weekend. Although, in common usage, both are considered to be interchangeable and mean "during the weekend".

What can I say instead of "over the weekend"?

Alternatives include ""during the weekend"", "on the weekend", or specifying the days, like "from Saturday to Sunday", depending on the context.

Is it correct to say "over the weekends"?

No, it's generally not correct to say "over the weekends" unless you are referring to multiple distinct weekends. The standard usage is "over the weekend" to describe a single Saturday and Sunday period. When referring to more than one weekend it's better to rephrase.