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
As the beauty cycle continues, Paris Fashion Week overtakes award show season this week, inviting celebrities to the front row for gag-worthy, high fashion moments.
—
India Espy-Jones, Essence, 10 Mar. 2025
Terror overtakes her body; arms flail against a pipe; her legs bang the ground.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, People.com, 5 Mar. 2025
The increase to 5 percent would mean Lithuania overtakes Poland as the NATO country spending the most on defense as a percentage of its GDP.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 16 Feb. 2025
The extent to which Matthew overtakes the story can be jarring, as that process is diffused across several amusing but increasingly morose asides.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 12 Feb. 2025
Within a few seconds, the smaller aircraft overtakes the larger one and a brilliant flash illuminates the night sky hundreds of feet above the Potomac River.
—Gary Stix, Scientific American, 30 Jan. 2025
Music slowly overtakes the production from that point onward.
—Laura Cappelle, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2025
The series’s dramatic momentum stalls when his story overtakes hers for two later episodes, but the finale provides a satisfying resolution.
—Simon Abrams, New York Times, 27 Dec. 2024
So, every 13 months, Earth catches up and overtakes it.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024
India Espy-Jones, Essence, 10 Mar. 2025
Terror overtakes her body; arms flail against a pipe; her legs bang the ground.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, People.com, 5 Mar. 2025
The increase to 5 percent would mean Lithuania overtakes Poland as the NATO country spending the most on defense as a percentage of its GDP.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 16 Feb. 2025
The extent to which Matthew overtakes the story can be jarring, as that process is diffused across several amusing but increasingly morose asides.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 12 Feb. 2025
Within a few seconds, the smaller aircraft overtakes the larger one and a brilliant flash illuminates the night sky hundreds of feet above the Potomac River.
—Gary Stix, Scientific American, 30 Jan. 2025
Music slowly overtakes the production from that point onward.
—Laura Cappelle, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2025
The series’s dramatic momentum stalls when his story overtakes hers for two later episodes, but the finale provides a satisfying resolution.
—Simon Abrams, New York Times, 27 Dec. 2024
So, every 13 months, Earth catches up and overtakes it.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overtakes
Verb
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The rocker’s debut full-length set reaches 350 weeks on the Billboard 200 this frame.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes,
6 Jan. 2025
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And because of that unknown, the Canucks are going to listen to outside expressions of interest in case the situation reaches a point of no return.—
Chris Johnston,
The Athletic,
6 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Overtakes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overtakes. Accessed 3 May. 2025.
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