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

These posts were created by generative AI, which is quickly overtaking the photo-first platform. —Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 22 Nov. 2025

The same reinforcement-learning techniques that teach a car to overtake at 185 mph can help drones navigate cities or factory robots coordinate in real time. —Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 21 Nov. 2025

By the end of Week 12, the Ravens and Steelers could both be 6-5, but Baltimore would overtake first place with a 3-0 division record. —James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2025

Streaming is poised to overtake linear TV in terms of annual revenue, but its economic models are still a work in progress. —Dade Hayes, Deadline, 20 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