as in overtaking
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.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of outpacing
The New York metro area led the nation in natural increase, or births outpacing deaths, followed by the Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston metros.
—
ABC News, 26 Mar. 2026
The cereal harvest in 2023 was 50 percent higher than that of 2000 and three times that of the 1960s, outpacing human population growth on all continents.
—Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026
By 2025, federal workers' thriving rate fell 12 points to an average of 48%, far outpacing the sharp declines in state and local government workers and the overall worker average.
—Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 24 Mar. 2026
CoreWeave has gained more than 14% this year, outpacing a broader market that's struggling amid geopolitical uncertainty.
—Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 24 Mar. 2026
Then, the trend flipped, with departures outpacing hires in all four quarters of last year.
—Vernal Coleman, ProPublica, 24 Mar. 2026
Millennials followed suit in December 2025, outpacing older generations for the first time in roughly three years.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 24 Mar. 2026
The affordable-housing crisis is a complex blend of problems, among them rent hikes outpacing wage growth, a historically low vacancy rate, and, per the Abundance crowd, a sluggish timeline for new development.
—Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 23 Mar. 2026
Between 2010 and 2024, New York City’s economy grew by 110%, far outpacing the state’s growth of 68%.
—Cordell Cleare, New York Daily News, 18 Mar. 2026
ABC News, 26 Mar. 2026
The cereal harvest in 2023 was 50 percent higher than that of 2000 and three times that of the 1960s, outpacing human population growth on all continents.
—Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026
By 2025, federal workers' thriving rate fell 12 points to an average of 48%, far outpacing the sharp declines in state and local government workers and the overall worker average.
—Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 24 Mar. 2026
CoreWeave has gained more than 14% this year, outpacing a broader market that's struggling amid geopolitical uncertainty.
—Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 24 Mar. 2026
Then, the trend flipped, with departures outpacing hires in all four quarters of last year.
—Vernal Coleman, ProPublica, 24 Mar. 2026
Millennials followed suit in December 2025, outpacing older generations for the first time in roughly three years.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 24 Mar. 2026
The affordable-housing crisis is a complex blend of problems, among them rent hikes outpacing wage growth, a historically low vacancy rate, and, per the Abundance crowd, a sluggish timeline for new development.
—Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 23 Mar. 2026
Between 2010 and 2024, New York City’s economy grew by 110%, far outpacing the state’s growth of 68%.
—Cordell Cleare, New York Daily News, 18 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outpacing
Verb
-
The remarks point to increasing anxiety about the possibility of China overtaking America’s decades-long status as the global leader in drug discovery, development, and approvals.—
Megan Molteni,
STAT,
19 Mar. 2026
-
But this shortage arrives just as the semiconductor industry has become the largest consumer of helium, overtaking MRI scanners in recent years.—
Deni Ellis Béchard,
Scientific American,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The eight steals is the most by a Notre Dame player in an NCAA Tournament game, surpassing the previous mark of seven by Skylar Diggins and Hidalgo’s coach, Niele Ivey.—
Joe Reedy,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Mar. 2026
-
Fort Collins has broken its March record *2 days in a row*, now surpassing its 2012 record (81F) by 6 degrees.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Kristopher David was driving to work Wednesday morning near the intersection of Broward Boulevard and Seventh Avenue when a black Audi, traveling westbound at a high rate of speed, T-boned his white BMW.—
Nikiya Carrero,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Wake early to catch the spectacle of sunrise before driving 30 minutes to the neighboring Santa Teresa.—
Meghan Palmer,
Condé Nast Traveler,
29 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Outpacing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outpacing. Accessed 30 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
