as in catching
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 overtaking
The festival joins a growing number of social sauna experiences in New York City, particularly overtaking the neighborhoods of Flatiron and Williamsburg.
—
Alexa Mikhail, Flow Space, 6 Mar. 2026
After launching its economic reforms in the late 1970s, China experienced nearly three decades of mostly double-digit growth, overtaking Japan in 2010 to become the world’s second-largest economy.
—John Liu, CNN Money, 5 Mar. 2026
The only thing faster than a bullet train is the zombie infection overtaking its passengers.
—Ilana Gordon, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Mar. 2026
But any team overtaking McLaren, which won the constructors’ championship by more than 360 points last year, will also have a shout.
—The Athletic, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026
That means the eFX 30 could come with ADAS features like overtaking warnings and blind spot monitoring.
—New Atlas, 26 Feb. 2026
Watching Alonso blossom from a minor leaguer to a slugger capable of overtaking Strawberry’s record was especially meaningful for Strawberry.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 23 Feb. 2026
For now, any bottlenecks are a symptom of bureaucracy overtaking values in terms of what’s driving sustainability.
—Tara Donaldson, Vogue, 16 Feb. 2026
The choral elements on the record shine most vividly on the title track, which features polyphonic swells of voices humming melodies, overtaking the piano, dropping and then rising again.
—Hanif Abdurraqib, New Yorker, 6 Feb. 2026
Alexa Mikhail, Flow Space, 6 Mar. 2026
After launching its economic reforms in the late 1970s, China experienced nearly three decades of mostly double-digit growth, overtaking Japan in 2010 to become the world’s second-largest economy.
—John Liu, CNN Money, 5 Mar. 2026
The only thing faster than a bullet train is the zombie infection overtaking its passengers.
—Ilana Gordon, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Mar. 2026
But any team overtaking McLaren, which won the constructors’ championship by more than 360 points last year, will also have a shout.
—The Athletic, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026
That means the eFX 30 could come with ADAS features like overtaking warnings and blind spot monitoring.
—New Atlas, 26 Feb. 2026
Watching Alonso blossom from a minor leaguer to a slugger capable of overtaking Strawberry’s record was especially meaningful for Strawberry.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 23 Feb. 2026
For now, any bottlenecks are a symptom of bureaucracy overtaking values in terms of what’s driving sustainability.
—Tara Donaldson, Vogue, 16 Feb. 2026
The choral elements on the record shine most vividly on the title track, which features polyphonic swells of voices humming melodies, overtaking the piano, dropping and then rising again.
—Hanif Abdurraqib, New Yorker, 6 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overtaking
Verb
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The news came just one week into the blockbuster trial, catching numerous parties off guard, including the judge overseeing the case and even one of the government’s own lead prosecutors.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
10 Mar. 2026
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The trails are open each year from April 1 - 30, and while the blooms are beautiful throughout the month, there’s something truly magical about catching them at their peak.—
Abby Price,
Southern Living,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Though South Dakota State is a regular participant in the NCAA Tournament, and likely would have been dancing win or lose, the Bison were chasing their first bid in the 68-team field.—
Grace Raynor,
New York Times,
9 Mar. 2026
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Like many of their fans, each member was born to immigrant parents who settled in Southern California chasing something better.—
Tomás Mier,
Rolling Stone,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Despite landing in Sacramento, the Horned Frogs still were appreciative of reaching another NCAA Tournament and hosting the first two rounds in Fort Worth.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
16 Mar. 2026
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The potential for record heat in the Sacramento area is expected to continue every day through at least Friday, with temperatures in Sacramento reaching up to 93 degrees.—
Brandon Downs,
CBS News,
16 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overtaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overtaking. Accessed 16 Mar. 2026.
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