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

In fact, the taxpayers were held up like stagecoach passengers, and the technology behind Ivanpah, far from being a model of innovation, was quickly overtaken by photovoltaic solar energy. —Susan Shelley, Oc Register, 7 Dec. 2025

This puts her straight among the most prolific hosts in the history of SNL, overtaking huge names like Bill Murray, Tina Fey and Justin Timberlake. —Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Dec. 2025

But overtaking Wade as the Heat’s all-time leading scorer will take a lot longer, as Wade is more than 12,000 points ahead of Adebayo. —Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 6 Dec. 2025

New York was the top city in 2024, but Chicago overtook the Big Apple as citywide delays increased by 10% year over year. —Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 5 Dec. 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