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

Dan Campbell’s team needs to finish strong to give itself a chance to overtake Chicago in the wild-card race. —Mike Jones, New York Times, 14 Dec. 2025

But the 10-4 Chargers would win a tiebreaker with Miami by virtue of their win against the Dolphins, meaning Miami can no longer overtake Los Angeles. —Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 14 Dec. 2025

In 2010, China overtook South Korea to become the world's largest shipbuilder, both in production capacity and new orders. —Lori Ann Larocco, CNBC, 14 Dec. 2025

But this category remains unsettled, and really, all Mosaku has to do is overtake Emily Blunt of The Smashing Machine and one of the Sentimental Value ladies to be back in the mix. —Nate Jones, Vulture, 12 Dec. 2025

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