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

Democrats need to gain a net of four seats in the 100-member Senate to overtake Republicans in the majority. — Arkansas Online, 1 Oct. 2026

By July 5, Axios was reporting on Polymarket’s 66 percent withdrawal probability and the fact that Kamala Harris had overtaken Biden in its nomination market. — Simon Denny, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026

Disney, like other legacy media companies, is at an inflection point as streaming and digital entertainment overtake the traditional media landscape. — Sarah Whitten,julia Boorstin, CNBC, 29 Sep. 2026

The spring 2027 runway shows at Milan Fashion Week were overtaken by animal print. — Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 28 Sep. 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