outstrip

verb

out·​strip ˌau̇t-ˈstrip 

outstripped; outstripping; outstrips

transitive verb

1

: to go faster or farther than

2

: to get ahead of

… has civilization outstripped the ability of its users to use it?

—Margaret Mead

Synonyms of outstrip

• exceed
• surpass
• eclipse

Choose the Right Synonym for outstrip

exceed, surpass, transcend, excel, outdo, outstrip mean to go or be beyond a stated or implied limit, measure, or degree.

exceed implies going beyond a limit set by authority or established by custom or by prior achievement.

exceed the speed limit

surpass suggests superiority in quality, merit, or skill.

the book surpassed our expectations

transcend implies a rising or extending notably above or beyond ordinary limits.

transcended the values of their culture

excel implies preeminence in achievement or quality and may suggest superiority to all others.

excels in mathematics

outdo applies to a bettering or exceeding what has been done before.

outdid herself this time

outstrip suggests surpassing in a race or competition.

outstripped other firms in sales

Examples of outstrip in a Sentence

The new hotel outstrips all other hotels in the area in size and luxury.

The fullback outstripped the defenders and scored a touchdown.

Recent Examples on the Web

The 19 Florida executions that year outstripped the previous high totals of eight in both 1984 and 2014. —Freida Frisaro, Sun Sentinel, 3 Mar. 2026

Anthropic dropped its pledge to pause development if the capability of its AI models far outstripped safety research. —Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 25 Feb. 2026

Thomas Barwick | Digitalvision | Getty Images Despite Resy’s rise and buzzy partnerships with high-profile restaurants, OpenTable still significantly outstrips its rival by restaurant count. —Amelia Lucas,ryan Baker, CNBC, 25 Feb. 2026

Meta delayed the international rollout of Meta Ray-Ban Display frames in January, after US demand outstripped supply. —Bloomberg, Mercury News, 24 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

out- + obsolete strip to move fast

First Known Use

1567, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for outstrip

• airship
• airstrip
• clerkship
• courtship
• equip
• filmstrip
• flagship
• gunship
• headship
• heirship
• judgeship
• kinship

Kids Definition

outstrip

verb

out·​strip -ˈstrip 

outstripped; outstripping

1

: to go faster or farther than

outstripped the other runners

2

a

: excel

outstripped all rivals

b

: exceed sense 1

demand outstrips supply