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
Los Angeles City Councilwoman Nithya Raman has overtaken former reality TV star Spencer Pratt in the city's mayoral race, closing in on a runoff election with Mayor Karen Bass.
—
Jay Stahl, USA Today, 8 June 2026
The character is also known as Prince Adam, who is drawn back to Eternia after nearly 20 years away, only to find his home overtaken by Skeletor.
—Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 7 June 2026
Hong Kong has narrowly overtaken Switzerland to become the world’s largest offshore wealth hub according to Boston Consulting Group’s 2026 Global Wealth Report.
—Jim Edwards, Fortune, 2 June 2026
Holdovers in Uni markets include UK and Ireland with $2M and a $9M running cume, surpassing lifetimes of Hereditary and Speak No Evil, and having previously overtaken The Black Phone and The Substance.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 31 May 2026
The painstaking work of clearing depots has ground to a halt, overtaken by a more volatile reality.
—Euan Ward, New Yorker, 29 May 2026
Once resistance was finally overtaken, there was immediate upside follow-through, which persisted for months and eventually led to new all-time highs.
—Frank Cappelleri, CNBC, 27 May 2026
Pratt has now overtaken council member Nithya Raman and is polling at 22 percent while Bass leads with 30 percent.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 26 May 2026
The crazy thing was a crash for Caio Collet, with the resulting red flag and restart leaving Rosenqvist open to being overtaken.
—Luke Smith, New York Times, 25 May 2026
Jay Stahl, USA Today, 8 June 2026
The character is also known as Prince Adam, who is drawn back to Eternia after nearly 20 years away, only to find his home overtaken by Skeletor.
—Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 7 June 2026
Hong Kong has narrowly overtaken Switzerland to become the world’s largest offshore wealth hub according to Boston Consulting Group’s 2026 Global Wealth Report.
—Jim Edwards, Fortune, 2 June 2026
Holdovers in Uni markets include UK and Ireland with $2M and a $9M running cume, surpassing lifetimes of Hereditary and Speak No Evil, and having previously overtaken The Black Phone and The Substance.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 31 May 2026
The painstaking work of clearing depots has ground to a halt, overtaken by a more volatile reality.
—Euan Ward, New Yorker, 29 May 2026
Once resistance was finally overtaken, there was immediate upside follow-through, which persisted for months and eventually led to new all-time highs.
—Frank Cappelleri, CNBC, 27 May 2026
Pratt has now overtaken council member Nithya Raman and is polling at 22 percent while Bass leads with 30 percent.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 26 May 2026
The crazy thing was a crash for Caio Collet, with the resulting red flag and restart leaving Rosenqvist open to being overtaken.
—Luke Smith, New York Times, 25 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overtaken
Verb
-
If caught in a rip current, remain calm.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
5 June 2026
-
Darryl Brown, a sergeant in the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, was caught with the missing items after the photojournalist used a geo-tracking device to trace her missing gear to his home, the state’s attorney general said Thursday.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
Chow and his son chased the boy out of the store and off the store property, for about 130 yards.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
-
Then, Rage chased Abdi with his arm extended and Abdi collapsed to the ground, video showed.—
Mara H. Gottfried,
Twin Cities,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overtaken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overtaken. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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