as in caught
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 overtaken
At the top of that list is Luckin Coffee, a Chinese brand that has overtaken Starbucks in both sales and store count, boasting three times as many outlets in the country and coffee priced as low as one-third of Starbucks’ offerings.
—
John Liu, CNN Money, 5 Nov. 2025
Howard’s literature classes, like mine at roughly the same time, had yet to be overtaken by critical theory, but were under the sway of what was called New Criticism.
—Michael Gorra, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2025
So, for me, that was the creation of the Anti-American Speech Committee, which is a government panel essentially designed to prosecute artists for holding views or creating work that resists basically the fascist state that has overtaken the American government.
—Literary Hub, 3 Nov. 2025
Barring a sudden spurt in Sunday State Farm spend, Mahomes is in danger of being overtaken by MLB superstar Shohei Ohtani (82 in-game New Balance airings) and Eli Manning.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 3 Nov. 2025
In the meantime, grotesque monsters have overtaken the planet, killing those who’ve gone through the cryo process.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
Discourse has been all but overtaken by geopolitics and the economy, with many in the sector wondering how to keep their businesses afloat, much less champion social and environmental advancement.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 27 Oct. 2025
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
Far too many school boards are being overtaken by far-right extremists determined to distort our public education system and target LGBTQ+ youth.
—Chris Ward, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Oct. 2025
John Liu, CNN Money, 5 Nov. 2025
Howard’s literature classes, like mine at roughly the same time, had yet to be overtaken by critical theory, but were under the sway of what was called New Criticism.
—Michael Gorra, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2025
So, for me, that was the creation of the Anti-American Speech Committee, which is a government panel essentially designed to prosecute artists for holding views or creating work that resists basically the fascist state that has overtaken the American government.
—Literary Hub, 3 Nov. 2025
Barring a sudden spurt in Sunday State Farm spend, Mahomes is in danger of being overtaken by MLB superstar Shohei Ohtani (82 in-game New Balance airings) and Eli Manning.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 3 Nov. 2025
In the meantime, grotesque monsters have overtaken the planet, killing those who’ve gone through the cryo process.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
Discourse has been all but overtaken by geopolitics and the economy, with many in the sector wondering how to keep their businesses afloat, much less champion social and environmental advancement.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 27 Oct. 2025
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
Far too many school boards are being overtaken by far-right extremists determined to distort our public education system and target LGBTQ+ youth.
—Chris Ward, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overtaken
Verb
-
Secure loose outdoor items and adjust plans as necessary so you're not caught outside.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Police previously said a 2011 Infiniti G37 sedan crashed on the I-30 service road and caught fire.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The two leopards chased each other through the leaves and even nibbled on a few.—
Craig Shoup,
Nashville Tennessean,
3 Nov. 2025
-
For decades, venture capital chased the fast and the frictionless.—
Nia Bowers,
USA Today,
3 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Overtaken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overtaken. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
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