Synonyms of overtake

overtake

verb

ˌō-vər-ˈtāk 

as in to catch

to move fast enough to get even with

she had to hurry to overtake her friends, who had forgotten their umbrellas

the thunderstorm overtook them suddenly

Synonyms & Similar Words

• catch
• chase
• reach
• pursue
• catch up (with)
• overhaul
• gain
• pass
• surpass

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• fall short

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of overtake

This ongoing restoration is transforming 10 acres of land once overtaken by aggressive invasive plants into a thriving native meadow that provides valuable habitat for pollinators, birds and other wildlife. — Will Richmond, The Providence Journal, 10 Sep. 2026

Or how one jet slammed into the Pentagon before another, bound for the Capitol Building, crashed in a Pennsylvania field after passengers banded together in an effort to overtake the hijackers. — David Friend, Vanity Fair, 10 Sep. 2026

As of Wednesday, OpenAI's new Astra model has overtaken Muse Spark, according to this benchmark, while Anthropic's Fable remains in the lead. — Zev Fima, CNBC, 9 Sep. 2026

Though the first Voyager launched has a 16-day, 9-million-mile head start, Voyager 1 will overtake its sister probe in November — flying a course that will bring it to an encounter with Jupiter in March 1979. — Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Sep. 2026