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
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Recent Examples of overtake
This week, Alphabet’s market capitalization overtook Apple’s for the first time since 2019.
—
Pia Singh, CNBC, 10 Jan. 2026
Investments in controlling invasive species have led to a 75 percent reduction in the area overtaken by melaleuca, a particularly thirsty tree species introduced in the river of grass near the turn of the 20th century to help drain it.
—Amy Green, Miami Herald, 9 Jan. 2026
The Los Angeles Fire Department made the decision to physically move the command post down Pacific Coast Highway and away from the Palisades because the inferno threatened to overtake their location.
—Literary Hub, 8 Jan. 2026
Opposition occurs when Earth, moving faster in its orbit than Jupiter, overtakes the giant planet.
—Joe Rao, Space.com, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for overtake
Pia Singh, CNBC, 10 Jan. 2026
Investments in controlling invasive species have led to a 75 percent reduction in the area overtaken by melaleuca, a particularly thirsty tree species introduced in the river of grass near the turn of the 20th century to help drain it.
—Amy Green, Miami Herald, 9 Jan. 2026
The Los Angeles Fire Department made the decision to physically move the command post down Pacific Coast Highway and away from the Palisades because the inferno threatened to overtake their location.
—Literary Hub, 8 Jan. 2026
Opposition occurs when Earth, moving faster in its orbit than Jupiter, overtakes the giant planet.
—Joe Rao, Space.com, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for overtake
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overtake
Verb
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The distinctive design catches the eye of thousands of people passing by each day.—
James Taylor,
CBS News,
22 Jan. 2026
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One rarely gains a sense of what people look like (beyond the son’s bulky physique and shambling movements, in which the mother ‘caught a flash of her brother’).—
Dan Sheehan,
Literary Hub,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Investigators later determined that a gray Dodge Charger began chasing the Toyota at a high rate of speed.—
Ben Wheeler,
Kansas City Star,
10 Jan. 2026
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Tech companies have also been chasing the next big product following the smartphone and think AI could be key to finding it.—
Lisa Eadicicco,
CNN Money,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Iran has been plunged into a nationwide internet blackout as anti-regime protests intensify, severely restricting communication across the country as demonstrations enter their second week and the death toll reaches 44, according to reports.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
9 Jan. 2026
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According to the official, the suspect refused to roll his window down or get out of his car, so the officer broke a rear window and reached inside the car to unlock the door.—
WCCO Staff,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overtake.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overtake. Accessed 22 Jan. 2026.
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