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

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
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Last year, Popeyes overtook KFC as the No. 2 chicken chain in the U.S. Executives said Tuesday that KFC will focus on value in the fourth quarter. Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2024 Harris had been leading Trump in Shapiro's state of Pennsylvania since July, but late last month 538's aggregation of national polls showed that Trump had narrowly overtaken her─though only just. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024 Perhaps the Ferrari just didn’t have the pace, as Verstappen eventually overtook Leclerc. Rob Reed, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024 Jaden Jefferson let the glee of victory overtake his face as the clock expired. Benjamin Royer, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for overtake 

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 13 Nov. 2024.

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
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!