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
The Seattle Mariners have overtaken the Houston Astros atop the AL West.
—
Zack Meisel, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
Schools, hospitals, businesses, police stations, even government ministries, have all been gutted, while entire neighborhoods in Port-au-Prince have been emptied out and overtaken as gangs spread to rural provinces.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 15 Sep. 2025
That’s why Gemini has, according to Google, overtaken ChatGPT in terms of search interest.
—Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Online Advertising Digital advertising has gradually overtaken offline advertising as companies with vast troves of consumer data say that online ads can target those interested in making purchases.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 12 Sep. 2025
But by the early 20th century, Portland cement had overtaken lime as the preferred building material.
—Adrienne Davis, jsonline.com, 11 Sep. 2025
The film, based on a novel by Karina Sainz Borgo, stars Natalia Reyes as a woman forced to grapple with the death of her mother against the backdrop of a crumbling city and a gang that has overtaken her apartment building.
—Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 10 Sep. 2025
In China, micro-dramas have overtaken theatrical.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 9 Sep. 2025
However, the Red Bull RB21's superior pace meant Norris was soon overtaken by the four-time world champion, who then pulled away and maintained a considerable gap of over five seconds for most of the race.
—Saajan Jogia, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Sep. 2025
Zack Meisel, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
Schools, hospitals, businesses, police stations, even government ministries, have all been gutted, while entire neighborhoods in Port-au-Prince have been emptied out and overtaken as gangs spread to rural provinces.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 15 Sep. 2025
That’s why Gemini has, according to Google, overtaken ChatGPT in terms of search interest.
—Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Online Advertising Digital advertising has gradually overtaken offline advertising as companies with vast troves of consumer data say that online ads can target those interested in making purchases.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 12 Sep. 2025
But by the early 20th century, Portland cement had overtaken lime as the preferred building material.
—Adrienne Davis, jsonline.com, 11 Sep. 2025
The film, based on a novel by Karina Sainz Borgo, stars Natalia Reyes as a woman forced to grapple with the death of her mother against the backdrop of a crumbling city and a gang that has overtaken her apartment building.
—Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 10 Sep. 2025
In China, micro-dramas have overtaken theatrical.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 9 Sep. 2025
However, the Red Bull RB21's superior pace meant Norris was soon overtaken by the four-time world champion, who then pulled away and maintained a considerable gap of over five seconds for most of the race.
—Saajan Jogia, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overtaken
Verb
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Kirk’s zeal caught the attention of Bill Montgomery, a businessman and Tea Party activist, who urged him to forgo college and dedicate himself fully to political organizing.—
Eric Cortellessa,
Time,
11 Sep. 2025
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Since 1986, employers have required to verify workers' eligibility to work, and can be fined or jailed if caught knowingly breaking the law.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Falcons linebacker Kaden Elliss chased him and dragged him down from behind, landing on McCarthy’s ankle.—
Alec Lewis,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
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Free Cash Flow Fuels Dividends and Buybacks Veteran investors might remember past gold bull markets where companies, flush with cash, chased growth at any cost.—
Frank Holmes,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Overtaken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overtaken. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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