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

Walmart had actually overtaken Kmart in sales around 1990, but Kmart still put her products in front of millions of shoppers every week. — Fernanda Tronco, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026

Pants that hang off the hips in a very low-effort way are overtaking high-rise jeans in popularity. — Bianca Kratky, Glamour, 8 Oct. 2026

Based on his observations thus far, Spasojevic believes the burros could play an important role in the local ecosystem by grazing on non-native grasses and preventing them from overtaking native plants. — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026

Her voice is still the outbound greeting on his and Ryu’s answering machine, which warns that the family is unavailable due to being overtaken by an infestation of firebreathing ants. — Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 4 Oct. 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