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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of overtake
Participants in a demonstration by the service workers’ union ver.di were walking along a street at about 10:30 a.m. when the car overtook a police vehicle following the gathering, accelerated and plowed into the back of the group, police said.
—
Geir Moulson, Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2025
As the emerging metropolis began to overtake San Francisco as the most populated city in the West, shrewd real estate developers began to cast their eyes up to the foothills of the Santa Monica and San Gabriel mountains.
—Jenny Jarvie, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2025
The Shelley scene is the first of 12 such exhibits, demonstrating how inventions gradually overtook natural intelligence and then, like Frankenstein’s monster, destroyed it.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 5 Feb. 2025
China overtook Japan as the biggest vehicle exporter last year, helped by government support for EVs.
—Afp, CBS News, 5 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for overtake 
Geir Moulson, Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2025
As the emerging metropolis began to overtake San Francisco as the most populated city in the West, shrewd real estate developers began to cast their eyes up to the foothills of the Santa Monica and San Gabriel mountains.
—Jenny Jarvie, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2025
The Shelley scene is the first of 12 such exhibits, demonstrating how inventions gradually overtook natural intelligence and then, like Frankenstein’s monster, destroyed it.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 5 Feb. 2025
China overtook Japan as the biggest vehicle exporter last year, helped by government support for EVs.
—Afp, CBS News, 5 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for overtake
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overtake
Verb
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That changed when polls showed a tightening race and Osborn raised more than $30 million, catching the attention not only of the working class but of organizations such as the Patriotic Millionaires, a group of wealthy Americans seeking an equitable economy.—
Jeffrey Fleishman,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Feb. 2025
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Crum learned about the medium-sized brown-and-white dog earlier this month but soon discovered Ariel wouldn't be easy to catch.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
16 Feb. 2025
Verb
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There's several variations but there's a big one that moves after the little one that appears to be chasing it....—
Yaakov Katz,
Newsweek,
9 Feb. 2025
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But Barkley didn’t join the Eagles to chase records.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
9 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Maryland improved to 20-6 overall and 10-5 in the Big Ten and reached 10 wins in the conference for only the second time in the last five years (11-9 in 2022-23, coach Kevin Willard’s first season).—
Edward Lee,
Baltimore Sun,
17 Feb. 2025
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Primeau, also reached Saturday night, had a flashback too.—
Pierre LeBrun,
The Athletic,
16 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near overtake
Cite this Entry
“Overtake.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overtake. Accessed 23 Feb. 2025.
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