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

Given the difficulty in overtaking around the Lusail track, emerging from the pits stuck behind even a small train of cars could have hurt McLaren’s race, on the assumption that others would opt to stay out. —Luke Smith, New York Times, 1 Dec. 2025

To top it all off, Taiwan’s stock market overtook Germany’s in September as the world’s eighth largest, riding on the global frenzy for artificial intelligence. —John Liu, CNN Money, 28 Nov. 2025

Apple’s smartphone shipments to overtake Samsung. —Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 27 Nov. 2025

Yet e-commerce has not overtaken the role of brick-and-mortar stores, but facilitated an omnichannel approach to shopping. —Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 26 Nov. 2025

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