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

The United States has been overtaken by a blue wave following last night’s midterm elections. — José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 5 Nov. 2026

The Texas results appear to be a warning sign for the AI industry in a state projected to overtake Virginia as the world's biggest data center market by 2030, according to JLL. — Garrett Downs,mackenzie Sigalos, CNBC, 4 Nov. 2026

The race may have seemed like dejavu to voters who remember the November election of 2022 when Luna first overtook Villanueva. — Steve Scauzillo, Daily News, 4 Nov. 2026

Four firefighters died from injuries suffered when the fast-moving Knowles Fire overtook them near the Colorado–Utah border in July. — Virginia Iglesias, The Conversation, 3 Nov. 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