as in catching
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 overtaking
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
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
The 19-year-old Italian took the lead in the standings with 72 points, overtaking fellow Mercedes driver George Russell, 28, who sits second with 63 points after finishing fourth on Sunday.
—Sahil Kapur, NBC news, 29 Mar. 2026
Others tried to find middle ground but still expressed frustration with the spectacle overtaking the sport itself.
—Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 26 Mar. 2026
The remarks point to increasing anxiety about the possibility of China overtaking America’s decades-long status as the global leader in drug discovery, development, and approvals.
—Megan Molteni, STAT, 19 Mar. 2026
But this shortage arrives just as the semiconductor industry has become the largest consumer of helium, overtaking MRI scanners in recent years.
—Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 18 Mar. 2026
The sound mixing was also really odd during the ceremony — most importantly with the tasteful piano fully overtaking Barbra Streisand’s touching speech about Robert Redford.
—William Earl, Variety, 16 Mar. 2026
Older scientists, including Snow and oceanographer Roger Revelle, had also warned about population growth overtaking food production.
—The Conversation, 16 Mar. 2026
Troy Renck, Denver Post, 30 Mar. 2026
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
The 19-year-old Italian took the lead in the standings with 72 points, overtaking fellow Mercedes driver George Russell, 28, who sits second with 63 points after finishing fourth on Sunday.
—Sahil Kapur, NBC news, 29 Mar. 2026
Others tried to find middle ground but still expressed frustration with the spectacle overtaking the sport itself.
—Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 26 Mar. 2026
The remarks point to increasing anxiety about the possibility of China overtaking America’s decades-long status as the global leader in drug discovery, development, and approvals.
—Megan Molteni, STAT, 19 Mar. 2026
But this shortage arrives just as the semiconductor industry has become the largest consumer of helium, overtaking MRI scanners in recent years.
—Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 18 Mar. 2026
The sound mixing was also really odd during the ceremony — most importantly with the tasteful piano fully overtaking Barbra Streisand’s touching speech about Robert Redford.
—William Earl, Variety, 16 Mar. 2026
Older scientists, including Snow and oceanographer Roger Revelle, had also warned about population growth overtaking food production.
—The Conversation, 16 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overtaking
Verb
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For those who have the option, more are contemplating walking, cycling, carpooling or catching the bus or train to get some relief.—
Jessica Guynn,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
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That inspired some smirks from Boone and Tanner Swanson, the team’s director of catching.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The timing is particularly painful given the significance of what the Bella Twins are chasing.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
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Volkswagen attempted an anti-tech pro-human message during the Super Bowl with an ad that showed earthy pleasures like dancing in the rain and chasing an ice-cream truck.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Heat at times looked like a juggernaut against tankers this season, topping 140 points in four of those games and reaching 150 in Adebayo’s 83-point game against Washington.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
30 Mar. 2026
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Tuesday will be drier with sun and clouds through the afternoon and temperatures reaching into the upper 70s.—
Gregory Padgett,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overtaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overtaking. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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