as in overtaking
to go or grow faster than (something)
Population growth has continued to outpace job growth for the last several decades. The demand for the product has outpaced the company's ability to produce it.
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Recent Examples of outpacing
From the mid-1990s through the mid-2020s, the cost of live entertainment rose sharply in the United States, outpacing broader measures of consumer inflation.
—
Bydoug Ashburn, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
In practice, however, many organizations receive less than that amount, often after delays that can stretch one to three years, and demand for the program has exceeded available funding in recent years, with applications far outpacing the number of grants awarded, according to federal data.
—Ariella Noveck, FOXNews.com, 2 Apr. 2026
While working at a major renewable energy developer, Varun Sivaram realized that the boom in AI and data centers was outpacing the construction of new power generation, even as wait times for grid interconnections grew longer.
—Jordan Blum, Fortune, 31 Mar. 2026
Property taxes imposed by government bodies within Cook County’s borders have grown at twice the rate of inflation over the past three decades, outpacing wage growth and driving an affordability crisis, a study by Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas’ office has found.
—Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2026
Short-term momentum is outpacing the longer-term trend, buyers are getting more aggressive.
—Josh Brown,sean Russo, CNBC, 30 Mar. 2026
The company had massive breakout moments of success, including the release of the iPhone in 2007, outpacing rivals such as BlackBerry and sparking the shift to smartphones.
—Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2026
The New York metro area led the nation in natural increase, or births outpacing deaths, followed by the Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston metros.
—ABC News, 26 Mar. 2026
The cereal harvest in 2023 was 50 percent higher than that of 2000 and three times that of the 1960s, outpacing human population growth on all continents.
—Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026
Bydoug Ashburn, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
In practice, however, many organizations receive less than that amount, often after delays that can stretch one to three years, and demand for the program has exceeded available funding in recent years, with applications far outpacing the number of grants awarded, according to federal data.
—Ariella Noveck, FOXNews.com, 2 Apr. 2026
While working at a major renewable energy developer, Varun Sivaram realized that the boom in AI and data centers was outpacing the construction of new power generation, even as wait times for grid interconnections grew longer.
—Jordan Blum, Fortune, 31 Mar. 2026
Property taxes imposed by government bodies within Cook County’s borders have grown at twice the rate of inflation over the past three decades, outpacing wage growth and driving an affordability crisis, a study by Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas’ office has found.
—Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2026
Short-term momentum is outpacing the longer-term trend, buyers are getting more aggressive.
—Josh Brown,sean Russo, CNBC, 30 Mar. 2026
The company had massive breakout moments of success, including the release of the iPhone in 2007, outpacing rivals such as BlackBerry and sparking the shift to smartphones.
—Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2026
The New York metro area led the nation in natural increase, or births outpacing deaths, followed by the Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston metros.
—ABC News, 26 Mar. 2026
The cereal harvest in 2023 was 50 percent higher than that of 2000 and three times that of the 1960s, outpacing human population growth on all continents.
—Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outpacing
Verb
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Jokic has a strong case for his offensive prowess, but missing 16 games will prevent him from overtaking Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama, leaving him likely third, ahead of the Lakers’ Luka Doncic.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
30 Mar. 2026
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Three golfers are 10-under and two are 9-under, meaning several still have at least an outside shot at overtaking Woodland with a big finish on Sunday.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Three months after the Prescott deal, Juan Soto agreed to the biggest-ever contract in MLB, signing a 15-year deal worth a staggering $765m with the New York Mets, surpassing Shohei Ohtani’s $700m deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers announced in late 2023.—
Dan Sheldon,
New York Times,
6 Apr. 2026
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Her season total for points was the fifth-best in program history, surpassing Sophie Cunningham’s 2018-19 mark.—
Aaron Segal,
Kansas City Star,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Cody Bellinger contributed to the Yankees erasing a four-run deficit through four innings by driving in three runs.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
5 Apr. 2026
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While driving - Stick to the middle lanes and stay on elevated ground.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
5 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Outpacing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outpacing. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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