as in overtook
to go or grow faster than (something)
Population growth has continued to outpace job growth for the last several decades. The demand for the product has outpaced the company's ability to produce it.
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Recent Examples of outpaced
For years, growth has outpaced infrastructure, risking higher bills, longer commutes, and strained services.
—
Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 15 Oct. 2025
Signing the Giving Pledge in 2020—a philanthropic initiative founded in 2010 by Bill Gates, Melinda French Gates, and Warren Buffett—her donations have so far outpaced many of her peers.
—Jessica Coacci, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2025
The percentage of fossil fuel generation and related emissions decreased in China and India, as the development of renewable energy sources outpaced the growth of energy demand.
—John M. Crisp, Mercury News, 15 Oct. 2025
Driven by soaring demand for power from artificial intelligence data centers, coupled with aging transmission and distribution infrastructure, electric prices have outpaced inflation since 2022 and are forecast to continue at that pace through at least 2026.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2025
Even as Asahi resumed shipments last week, demand for its popular alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks outpaced its delivery capacity.
—John Liu, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2025
According to a report by climate think tank Ember, wind and solar power together outpaced coal generation in the first half of 2025, driven largely by record solar expansion and steady wind growth across key economies such as China and India.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 7 Oct. 2025
Could Lightfighter – and the imitators likely to follow – even raise interest in track riding, in a world where modern sportbike performance long ago outpaced what could be exploited prudently on public roads?
—New Atlas, 7 Oct. 2025
From 1964 to 1968, as inflation more than doubled, the rise in operating expenses for apartment buildings outpaced the increase allowed under rent control by a factor of three.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025
Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 15 Oct. 2025
Signing the Giving Pledge in 2020—a philanthropic initiative founded in 2010 by Bill Gates, Melinda French Gates, and Warren Buffett—her donations have so far outpaced many of her peers.
—Jessica Coacci, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2025
The percentage of fossil fuel generation and related emissions decreased in China and India, as the development of renewable energy sources outpaced the growth of energy demand.
—John M. Crisp, Mercury News, 15 Oct. 2025
Driven by soaring demand for power from artificial intelligence data centers, coupled with aging transmission and distribution infrastructure, electric prices have outpaced inflation since 2022 and are forecast to continue at that pace through at least 2026.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2025
Even as Asahi resumed shipments last week, demand for its popular alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks outpaced its delivery capacity.
—John Liu, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2025
According to a report by climate think tank Ember, wind and solar power together outpaced coal generation in the first half of 2025, driven largely by record solar expansion and steady wind growth across key economies such as China and India.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 7 Oct. 2025
Could Lightfighter – and the imitators likely to follow – even raise interest in track riding, in a world where modern sportbike performance long ago outpaced what could be exploited prudently on public roads?
—New Atlas, 7 Oct. 2025
From 1964 to 1968, as inflation more than doubled, the rise in operating expenses for apartment buildings outpaced the increase allowed under rent control by a factor of three.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outpaced
Verb
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Anthony quickly overtook Boston's leadoff spot and helped lead the team to a playoff spot before getting injured.—
Shaun McAvoy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Oct. 2025
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In July 2024, EV sales officially overtook sales of conventional autos in China.—
Rob Wile,
NBC news,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The aquarium met and surpassed its goal to raise the funds for its sea otter conservation program in less than eight hours, averaging about $100,000 in sales every 15 minutes, MacDonald said.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
19 Oct. 2025
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Bouanga, who surpassed Vela as LAFC’s all-time leading scorer this season, had won the Golden Boot in 2023 and was seeking to become only the sixth multi-time winner in league history and the first since Bradley Wright-Phillips did it with the New York Red Bulls (2014, 2016).—
Avi Creditor,
New York Times,
19 Oct. 2025
Verb
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However, Cox said via email last week that the cost of new construction and the site topography where the old police headquarters stood drove the cost up so high that the location was not the best choice.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
22 Oct. 2025
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The suspects drove a truck up to the museum, part of which was originally built as a castle.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
22 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Outpaced.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outpaced. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.
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