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

As the post-pandemic fragrance boom enters its latest stage, Circana reports that affordable fragrances are overtaking prestige fragrances by growth, and so Express’s under-$50 price point aligns well with this shift. — Noor Lobad, Footwear News, 12 Nov. 2026

Organizations are being pushed from answering requests to anticipating them, and Gartner expects proactive engagement to overtake reactive service. — Jay Lee, Forbes.com, 12 Nov. 2026

However, the tragedy of those last few hours of unnecessary fighting was immediately overtaken by an overwhelming sense of relief. — Connor Okeeffe, Oc Register, 11 Nov. 2026

If fertility rates remain at those levels, the United States will overtake China in annual births at some point in the 2080s and in total population by around 2120. — Jesús Fernández-Villaverde, Foreign Affairs, 10 Nov. 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