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

Can a squad of scientists (including Kurt Russell) fight off madness and mayhem before the Thing overtakes them all? — Beatrice Verhoeven, HollywoodReporter, 25 Aug. 2026

Advanced Micro Devices is likely to overtake Intel in the central processing unit market, adding to the stock’s appeal compared to other semiconductor names, according to Raymond James. — Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 25 Aug. 2026

In 2020, the Pentagon assessed that China had overtaken the United States to become the world’s largest navy by number of battle-force ships. — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 23 Aug. 2026

McCutcheon’s third goal of the season — Orlando’s earliest goal of 2026 — came courtesy of Barbra Banda, who had been leading the league in goals until being overtaken by Ashley Sanchez of North Carolina. — Orlando Sentinel Staff, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 Aug. 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