as in to catch
to move fast enough to get even with
she had to hurry to overtake her friends, who had forgotten their umbrellas the thunderstorm overtook them suddenly
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of overtake
Dreamt up by Handshake, one of Mexico City’s reigning cocktail bars, the mixed drinks were a welcome complement to the food—and though both were assertive in flavor and preparation, neither one overtook the other.
—
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Feb. 2026
Photos from the scene showed billowing flames and smoke overtaking the orthopedic center.
—David Matthews, New York Daily News, 5 Feb. 2026
Sometime in the late 19th century, the economy of the islands of Great Britain was overtaken in size by the United States and Imperial Germany.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 4 Feb. 2026
Minnesota, behind Donte DiVincenzo and Anthony Edwards, seemed poised to overtake Memphis, but the Grizzlies never let the Timberwolves within nine points and snapped a six-game losing streak.
—CBS News, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for overtake
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Feb. 2026
Photos from the scene showed billowing flames and smoke overtaking the orthopedic center.
—David Matthews, New York Daily News, 5 Feb. 2026
Sometime in the late 19th century, the economy of the islands of Great Britain was overtaken in size by the United States and Imperial Germany.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 4 Feb. 2026
Minnesota, behind Donte DiVincenzo and Anthony Edwards, seemed poised to overtake Memphis, but the Grizzlies never let the Timberwolves within nine points and snapped a six-game losing streak.
—CBS News, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for overtake
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overtake
Verb
-
Van Der Beek spoke with USA TODAY in August 2025 about the importance of catching it early.—
Alyssa Goldberg,
USA Today,
12 Feb. 2026
-
Local officials were caught off guard.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
And while a few are chasing specific bucket-list goals, many simply want to go somewhere enjoyable, do something engaging, and stay healthy.—
Kathy Boardman,
USA Today,
7 Feb. 2026
-
The new owner is Gary (Justin Kirk), who chases off anyone who comes around.—
Television Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Hurzeler is probably safe for the rest of the season before a summer review of how things stand for a club with ambitions to build on reaching Europe for the first time in 2022-23 by competing regularly in the top half of the table and for their first domestic silverware.—
Andy Naylor,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Thus far, no claim has yet reached level 4.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overtake.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overtake. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
