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

• catch
• catch up (with)
• overhaul

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

Five people were rescued after their boat was overtaken by a wave in Lake Erie, according to officials. —Jennifer Rodriguez, Kansas City Star, 9 July 2024

That means in 2024, wildfires have overtaken 17 times more space than last year, a 332% increase over the five-year average. —Elise Fisher, Sacramento Bee, 6 July 2024

Adebayo also appears to be on his way to overtaking Udonis Haslem as the Heat’s all-time leading rebounder within the next five seasons. —Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 6 July 2024

Tesla’s top rival, Chinese EV-maker BYD, announced plans in December to build a factory in Hungary in the hopes of overtaking Tesla in the region by 2030. —Laura Bratton, Quartz, 5 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from over entry 1 + taken to take

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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