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

• catch
• catch up (with)
• overhaul

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

And this summer, in a separate report, Jato said Chinese automakers overtook their U.S. rivals in overall sales, selling 13.4 million to America's 11.9 million vehicles. —Luke Garrett, NPR, 23 Sep. 2024

The market overtook the laboratory, and the race was on. —Eli Amdur, Forbes, 20 Sep. 2024

The 30-year-old has already overtaken Ronald Acuña Jr. and Alex Rodriguez, the two players to come closest previously. —Jamie Barton, CNN, 19 Sep. 2024

Good thing Spirit Halloween pop-ups have overtaken every struggling storefront for the duration of the season! —Jennifer Culp, Them, 18 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from over entry 1 + taken to take

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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