as in catches
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 overtakes
Motorway overtakes require a firm prod of the throttle, while the automatic gearbox can occasionally hesitate before responding.
—
Matthew MacConnell, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
As regenerative agriculture overtakes traditional organic labels in popularity, Lewkowitz highlighted the unique challenges American growers face.
—Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 27 Apr. 2026
That way, no plant overtakes another.
—Tessa Cooper, The Spruce, 17 Apr. 2026
If hairy bittercress overtakes your lawn, mow frequently in early spring to remove as many flowers as possible.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 11 Apr. 2026
The convergence of Iowa State fans to Power & Light or the sea of blue that overtakes downtown this week or the plethora of NBA general managers in the front rows offered enough of a reminder that Kansas City didn’t need.
—Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 13 Mar. 2026
Paranoia overtakes several players who vie for protection.
—Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 3 Mar. 2026
When exhaustion overtakes them, something more sinister comes creeping from the shadows.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 15 Feb. 2026
Afterward, Agnes and I were felled by the kind of hunger that overtakes only those who have exerted themselves in cold weather.
—Boris Fishman, Travel + Leisure, 8 Feb. 2026
Matthew MacConnell, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
As regenerative agriculture overtakes traditional organic labels in popularity, Lewkowitz highlighted the unique challenges American growers face.
—Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 27 Apr. 2026
That way, no plant overtakes another.
—Tessa Cooper, The Spruce, 17 Apr. 2026
If hairy bittercress overtakes your lawn, mow frequently in early spring to remove as many flowers as possible.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 11 Apr. 2026
The convergence of Iowa State fans to Power & Light or the sea of blue that overtakes downtown this week or the plethora of NBA general managers in the front rows offered enough of a reminder that Kansas City didn’t need.
—Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 13 Mar. 2026
Paranoia overtakes several players who vie for protection.
—Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 3 Mar. 2026
When exhaustion overtakes them, something more sinister comes creeping from the shadows.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 15 Feb. 2026
Afterward, Agnes and I were felled by the kind of hunger that overtakes only those who have exerted themselves in cold weather.
—Boris Fishman, Travel + Leisure, 8 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overtakes
Verb
-
Rice, one of the team's better receivers with 156 catches his first three NFL seasons, has proven that he cannot be trusted to stay out of trouble.—
Armando Salguero OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
19 May 2026
-
When the stock market sneezes, California state government catches pneumonia.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
On Bespin, the crew chases an Imperial officer through the skies of Cloud City, dodging freighters and TIE fighters.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
23 May 2026
-
While Silicon Valley chases incremental benchmark improvements, industrial leaders are working to earn their customers’ trust, shift by shift, through validated deployments that deliver concrete benefits.—
Chris Turlica,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
The signal that reaches us from that time is surprisingly uniformly distributed across the sky, no matter where the detectors are pointed.—
Manon Bischoff,
Scientific American,
23 May 2026
-
If all goes to plan, Starship Version 3 is due to become the rocket that finally reaches orbit.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
23 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overtakes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overtakes. Accessed 25 May. 2026.
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