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

For the first time, the continent has overtaken Asia as the region with the largest number of hungry people, and nearly 60% of the world’s chronically undernourished people could live there by 2030. — ABC News, 21 July 2026

Mark Zuckerberg overtook Michael Dell to become the world’s fifth-richest person as Dell’s stock price sank, though shares of the hardware firm have gained nearly 200% this year. — Danielle Chemtob, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026

In reality, this is just the next move, if Congress cannot pass legislation to help curb the current issues overtaking athletics. — Trey Wallace Outkick, FOXNews.com, 21 July 2026

Roberto Baggio let Toto Schillaci take a penalty against England in 1990, affording him the chance to overtake Czechoslovakia’s Tomas Skuhravy. — James Horncastle, New York Times, 19 July 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