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
• 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

Those against preserving the vacant building noted it had been overtaken by homeless occupants and would have required millions of dollars to restore after the building had been flooded and damaged. —Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 24 Oct. 2025

Thousands of sea cucumbers are overtaking the beach in a coastal town. —Staff, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2025

As the vehicle was carried into a wash north of West Main Street, it was overtaken by floodwaters, separating Aguilera-Padilla and Xavier, who had managed to exit the vehicle. —Ingrid Vasquez, PEOPLE, 22 Oct. 2025

What To Know The crash happened just after midnight, as the drivers of the two buses, traveling in opposite directions, were both trying to overtake other vehicles. —Robert Birsel, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 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