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

YouTube has continued to upend the natural order of UK television by overtaking the BBC on a key measurement of audience reach, according to an analysis by Deadline. —Jake Kanter, Deadline, 13 Jan. 2026

Wide receiver Xavier Legette saw his production, targets and snap count be overtaken by Jalen Coker, and linebacker Trevin Wallace battled injury all year. —Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 13 Jan. 2026

Last week, Google briefly overtook Apple in market value for the first time since 2019. —Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 12 Jan. 2026

Among mega-cap stocks, Alphabet overtook Apple as the world’s second-largest company by market value, as investors continued to bet on Google’s leadership in artificial intelligence. —Benzinga, Freep.com, 10 Jan. 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