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

Alcaraz still has a way to go to catch or overtake Novak Djokovic’s 2011 record of 41 consecutive victories to kick off an ATP season, but adding yet another skill to his game will help. —James Hansen, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2026

Her emotion is mirrored by raging guitars that fight to overtake her voice and nearly win. —Larisha Paul, VIBE.com, 9 Mar. 2026

New research from real estate firm Jones Lang LaSalle suggests Texas is positioned to overtake Virginia as the world's largest data center market by 2030. —Kelsey Brown, San Antonio Express-News, 9 Mar. 2026

Her emotion is mirrored by raging guitars that fight to overtake her voice and nearly win. —Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 6 Mar. 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