1. to subscribe to or apply for more of something (such as shares, tickets, or a service) than is available or desired
Usage: commonly used in finance and business contexts
2. to have more subscribers or applicants than the number of available slots or shares
Usage: passive or reflexive usage

Examples

• The initial public offering oversubscribes within hours of opening.
• When concert tickets go on sale, fans often oversubscribe the website, causing it to crash.
• The streaming service oversubscribes its bandwidth during peak hours.
• Investors oversubscribe the bond offering by a factor of three.
• The university oversubscribes its freshman class every year.
• The magazine oversubscribes its annual subscription limit in the first week.