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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of overtaking
Napoleon Solo, a horse that entered with 7-1 odds and had finished fifth in his last two races, won the Preakness on Saturday, overtaking the favorite Taj Mahal down the stretch while also holding off another strong contender, Iron Honor.
—
Andrew Greif, NBC news, 17 May 2026
The track in Barcelona is tough for overtaking, with the only real opportunity being at the first corner on each lap.
—Luke Smith, New York Times, 15 May 2026
Japan was perhaps the earliest originator of this trend, with cats overtaking dogs a decade ago.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 10 May 2026
Many popular landscape shrubs grow a foot or two a year, quickly overtaking everything around them.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 25 Apr. 2026
And besides, Apple still has the largest share of the smartphone market worldwide, with only Samsung realistically capable of overtaking it any time soon.
—Dominic Preston, The Verge, 25 Apr. 2026
Solar, wind and other renewables made up 34% of global electricity generation in 2025, overtaking coal’s 33% share for the first time since 1919, when demand was a tiny fraction of current levels, according to the report.
—Eamon Farhat, Bloomberg, 21 Apr. 2026
Although some sod was recently laid, the rest of the park is so neglected that weeds are already overtaking it.
—U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026
EVs now make up almost 40% of Vietnam’s car sales, overtaking the EU average, according to energy think tank Ember.
—Angelica Ang, Fortune, 21 Apr. 2026
Andrew Greif, NBC news, 17 May 2026
The track in Barcelona is tough for overtaking, with the only real opportunity being at the first corner on each lap.
—Luke Smith, New York Times, 15 May 2026
Japan was perhaps the earliest originator of this trend, with cats overtaking dogs a decade ago.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 10 May 2026
Many popular landscape shrubs grow a foot or two a year, quickly overtaking everything around them.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 25 Apr. 2026
And besides, Apple still has the largest share of the smartphone market worldwide, with only Samsung realistically capable of overtaking it any time soon.
—Dominic Preston, The Verge, 25 Apr. 2026
Solar, wind and other renewables made up 34% of global electricity generation in 2025, overtaking coal’s 33% share for the first time since 1919, when demand was a tiny fraction of current levels, according to the report.
—Eamon Farhat, Bloomberg, 21 Apr. 2026
Although some sod was recently laid, the rest of the park is so neglected that weeds are already overtaking it.
—U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026
EVs now make up almost 40% of Vietnam’s car sales, overtaking the EU average, according to energy think tank Ember.
—Angelica Ang, Fortune, 21 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overtaking
Verb
-
His spends the right amount of time catching us up on the lives, dreams and current situations of three Oakland shoplifters — Corvette (Keke Palmer), Mariah (Taylour Paige) and Sade (Naomi Ackie).—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
19 May 2026
-
Brown’s production immediately skyrocketed when he was traded to the Eagles before the 2022 season, tallying a career-high 1,496 yards on 88 catches with 11 touchdowns while catching passes from Hurts for the first time.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
The next big thing is already chasing AI.—
Art Mandalas,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
-
Leading into the game against Bay State Conference rival Newton North (a 6-3 victory), Raiders coach Steve Balter had been chasing the game ball down after each of the Raiders games.—
Brendan Connelly,
Boston Herald,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
Cloud cover originally prevented rescuers from reaching him, in addition to wind and snow as the elevation climbed to 4,100 feet.—
Emily Mae Czachor,
CBS News,
17 May 2026
-
Hey Jim, thanks for reaching back out and thanks for the clarification.—
Sean Joseph OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
17 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overtaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overtaking. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
