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
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Recent Examples of overtake
Those who believe college sports is losing its heart — being overtaken by money and negotiations and boardrooms — are not all wrong; this is not the same game your father, or even your older sister, grew up watching.
—
ABC News, 1 Apr. 2026
On Friday, March 27, Tiger Woods allegedly attempted to overtake a turning truck pulling a pressure cleaner at a high rate of speed before clipping the back of the truck with his Land Rover.
—Andrew McCarty, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Ramírez could potentially overtake Terry Turner, who played in 1,619 games, this weekend at home.
—CBS News, 31 Mar. 2026
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has reported on the cheating epidemic that has overtaken schools and universities as students outsource their assignments to a chat bot.
—Peter Smagorinsky, AJC.com, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for overtake
ABC News, 1 Apr. 2026
On Friday, March 27, Tiger Woods allegedly attempted to overtake a turning truck pulling a pressure cleaner at a high rate of speed before clipping the back of the truck with his Land Rover.
—Andrew McCarty, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Ramírez could potentially overtake Terry Turner, who played in 1,619 games, this weekend at home.
—CBS News, 31 Mar. 2026
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has reported on the cheating epidemic that has overtaken schools and universities as students outsource their assignments to a chat bot.
—Peter Smagorinsky, AJC.com, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for overtake
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overtake
Verb
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Calls come in about elders caught in financial scams or elders who are sick.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
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Secure loose outdoor items and adjust plans as necessary so you're not caught outside.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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This is apparently so intolerable to the American public of the 1950s that he is chased out of a radio station after airing his views, whiskey bottle in hand.—
Alice Kaplan,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
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The Rockies want to run the bases like kids chasing an ice cream truck.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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There are faster versions available, sometimes called e-motos, that can reach 40 mph even without pedaling.—
Sarah Raza,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
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The high is forecasted to reach the upper 60s, NWS states, though skies are likely to remain mostly cloudy.—
Grace Zokovitch,
Boston Herald,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overtake.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overtake. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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