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

Pre-rolls have overtaken flower as the best-selling category in the $30 billion cannabis industry. —Will Yakowicz, Forbes.com, 24 May 2026

The feat was especially remarkable considering the Haitian team did not play a single qualifying match at home because the national stadium, Stade Sylvio Cator, was overtaken by armed gangs in March 2024. —Michelle Kaufman may 24, Miami Herald, 24 May 2026

Busch celebrated his 36th birthday at Kansas in May 2021 with a Saturday night double-overtime Truck Series victory in the Wise Power 200, overtaking Ross Chastain for his third trucks win at the track. —Jeff Rosen, Kansas City Star, 22 May 2026

Cursor overtook GitHub Copilot in market share about a year ago and has kept the lead among customers that use Ramp, according to that company's data. —Jordan Novet, CNBC, 22 May 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