overtake

verb

over·​take ˌō-vər-ˈtāk How to pronounce overtake (audio)
overtook ˌō-vər-ˈtu̇k How to pronounce overtake (audio) ; overtaken ˌō-vər-ˈtā-kən How to pronounce overtake (audio) ; overtaking

transitive verb

1
a
: to catch up with
b
: to catch up with and pass by
2
: to come upon suddenly

Example Sentences

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 In the race for the title of the planet with the most moons, Saturn may have overtaken Jupiter for the final time. Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 May 2023 George Derek Musgrove, a University of Maryland at Baltimore historian who has written about D.C. history, described 1978 as a turning point when moderate Republicans who wanted to grant the city rights were overtaken by social conservatives such as Pat Buchanan and Phyllis Schlafly. Paul Schwartzman, Washington Post, 13 May 2023 Alex Palou overtakes Christian Lundgaard for the lead on Lap 42. Scott Horner, The Indianapolis Star, 13 May 2023 The siblings were previously Counsellors of State to Queen Elizabeth before they were overtaken in the line of succession to the throne as King Charles and Prince Andrew had children and grandchildren. Stephanie Petit, Peoplemag, 6 May 2023 Two Phil’s led the field of 18 into the stretch, but was overtaken by Mage, who had been picking off horses through the previous 2 furlongs, and betting favorite Angel of Empire couldn’t catch the two front-runners before the wire. Mark Inabinett | Minabinett@al.com, al, 6 May 2023 Photos from the Oregon Relays at Hayward Field on Saturday night The senior, who has been making waves all over in the distance events, showcased his closing capabilities and quickly overtook the group. Nikstreng, oregonlive, 24 Apr. 2023 Opioid overdose deaths were soaring that year and would soon overtake car crashes as the leading cause of death in the United States. Christina Jewett, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2023 Chinese automakers are now confident that the country will overtake Japan as the world’s largest car exporter this year, thanks to electric cars. Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 21 Apr. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'overtake.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from over entry 1 + taken to take

First Known Use

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of overtake was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near overtake

Cite this Entry

“Overtake.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overtake. Accessed 31 May. 2023.

Kids Definition

overtake

verb
over·​take ˌō-vər-ˈtāk How to pronounce overtake (audio)
overtook -ˈtu̇k How to pronounce overtake (audio) ; overtaken -ˈtā-kən How to pronounce overtake (audio) ; 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

More from Merriam-Webster on overtake

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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