overtake

verb

over·​take ˌō-vər-ˈtāk 

overtook ˌō-vər-ˈtu̇k  ; overtaken ˌō-vər-ˈtā-kən  ; overtaking

transitive verb

1

a

: to catch up with

b

: to catch up with and pass by

2

: to come upon suddenly

Synonyms of overtake

• catch
• chase
• reach

Examples of overtake in a Sentence

She overtook the other runners and went on to win the race.

The sign says “No Overtaking.”

Seasickness can overtake passengers when the ship encounters a storm.

Recent Examples on the Web

Barring injury, Mbappé could go on to overtake goalkeeper Hugo Lloris' record of 145 appearances for Les Bleus. —CBS News, 22 June 2026

Who knew this $10M indie feature with an under $20M P&A spend which released one week after Mandalorian and Grogu (which cost $165M net and a hundred million plus in global P&A) would overtake an anticipated summer franchise tentpole? —Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 19 June 2026

In May, solar overtook coal in US power generation for the first time. —Bloomberg, Mercury News, 18 June 2026

Who knew a nontraditional Big Ten program could overtake the South’s premier venue? —Gabriel Burns, AJC.com, 18 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from over entry 1 + taken to take

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for overtake

• rattlesnake
• shiitake
• undertake
• wapentake
• ache
• ake
• bake
• brake
• break
• cake
• craik
• crake

Kids Definition

overtake

verb

over·​take ˌō-vər-ˈtāk 

overtook -ˈtu̇k  ; overtaken -ˈtā-kən  ; overtaking

1

a

: to catch up with

b

: to catch up with and pass by

2

: to come upon suddenly

a blizzard overtook the hunting party