outstrip

verb

out·strip | \ ˌau̇t-ˈstrip

outstripped; outstripping; outstrips

Definition of outstrip

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 Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about outstrip

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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

Since the end of 2016, when Japanese and Chinese ownership of overseas assets reached almost identical levels, Japanese investment has outstripped China’s by tens of billions of dollars, International Monetary Fund data shows. — Mike Bird, WSJ, "Japan’s Silent Belt and Road Is Beating China’s," 22 Apr. 2019 Lowcock said funds for cyclone victims are starting to come through, including 22 million pounds from the United Kingdom, but are far outstripped by the needs. — Cara Anna, The Seattle Times, "UN makes urgent appeal to help victims of Mozambique cyclone," 25 Mar. 2019 While the Pentagon’s base budget was capped in 2011, funding for the military still far outstripped the rest of the world and was still higher than the next seven countries combined. — New York Times, "Trump Tells Naval Academy Graduates America Is ‘Respected Again’," 25 May 2018 Africa was a laggard, outstripped by everywhere else. — The Economist, "Seeds of changeCalestous Juma died on December 15th," 11 Jan. 2018 That has not been helped by seeing two of his peers, Messi and Neymar, sign contracts that far outstrip his own, not exactly meager, earnings. — Rory Smith, New York Times, "Ronaldo Leaves Real Madrid to Join Juventus," 10 July 2018 Private innovation and capacity to do stuff has just far outstripped our capacity to make sense of it and order it. — Eric Johnson, Recode, "Elites like Amazon’s Jeff Bezos think they’re being philanthropic. But they could do so much more.," 3 Oct. 2018 To this point in the season, the Bucks have somehow put themselves in the odd situations where they’ve simultaneously underwhelmed while also outstripping expectations. — Matt Velazquez, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Milwaukee Bucks face multiple challenges after all-star break," 20 Feb. 2018 Investors point out that return relative to the amount of government aid the firms received far outstrips the $16 billion return on TARP, the federal bailout fund for banks during the crisis. — Andrew Ackerman, WSJ, "Popular Hedge Fund Bet on Fannie and Freddie Is Paying Off Big This Year," 26 Jan. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'outstrip.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.