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

President Emmanuel Macron has been the primary target of scorn following nationwide riots that overtook Paris and other cities, but the insurgent National Rally does not want to let mainstream conservatives off the hook. — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 22 Oct. 2026

Zuckerberg said that Threads, the newest addition to the Family of Apps, has now overtaken X (formerly Twitter) in monthly active users, while WhatsApp is seeing all-time highs for messages sent. — Zev Fima, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026

Central Florida has been overtaken by frightening fiends and ghoulish gatherings on front lawns of suburban homes as Halloween fast approaches. — Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026

But these memories were quickly overtaken by the thoughts of her own children in their classrooms. — Taylor Galgano, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 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