Definition of overtakenext
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

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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 Over the past year, countries rushed to secure piecemeal deals; some allowed panic to overtake them; very few coordinated their actions or retaliations. Mihir Sharma, Twin Cities, 26 Mar. 2026 Alphabet, too, was left for dead by the Street on fears that management wasn't executing and the company's AI strategy wasn't panning out to the point the were being overtaken by others. Zev Fima, CNBC, 23 Mar. 2026 One night earlier, Durant scored 27 points in the Houston Rockets’ 123-122 victory over the Miami Heat to overtake Jordan for fifth place on the NBA’s all-time leading scorer list. Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2026 While Connor McDavid has continued to deliver, his NHL scoring lead was overtaken by Tampa’s Nikita Kucherov in a head-to-head meeting on Saturday in which Kucherov poured in four points. Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 23 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for overtake
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overtake
Verb
  • Calls come in about elders caught in financial scams or elders who are sick.
    Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2026
  • Secure loose outdoor items and adjust plans as necessary so you're not caught outside.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 2 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Her father, Bernard, had run away from his own parents at fourteen to chase his version of the American Dream.
    Zayd Ayers Dohrn, New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2026
  • But there isn’t one collective goal for this team to chase over the next 17 days.
    Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 28 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • There are faster versions available, sometimes called e-motos, that can reach 40 mph even without pedaling.
    Sarah Raza, Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2026
  • 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

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Cite this Entry

“Overtake.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overtake. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.

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