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
Adebayo is also on his way to overtaking Udonis Haslem as the Heat’s all-time leading rebounder within the next two seasons.
—
Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 11 Oct. 2025
And for the first half of 2025, record solar and steady wind growth led to renewables overtaking coal generation globally for the first time on record, according to a new report from Ember, an independent global energy think tank.
—Daniel Peck, ABC News, 8 Oct. 2025
With the French Broad River overtaking downtown, every business there was eliminated.
—Garret K. Woodward, Rolling Stone, 4 Oct. 2025
Another Democrat needs just $25 to beat the billionaire influences overtaking our country.
—Sarah Stankorb, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025
In 2010, the University of Georgia brought in goats to control an invasive plant overtaking a section of campus.
—Jim Edwards, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2025
The double took his Champions League tally to 52 goals in 50 appearances, overtaking Thierry Henry to draw level with Mohamed Salah in 10th place on the all-time record list.
—Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
As of last year, Gen Z officially became the largest segment of the workforce, overtaking Boomers.
—Gisela Carere, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
As both glaciers melted, Alsek Lake grew significantly, filling in the void left by the Grand Plateau Glacier and gradually overtaking the ice that once surrounded Prow Knob.
—Denise Chow, NBC news, 16 Sep. 2025
Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 11 Oct. 2025
And for the first half of 2025, record solar and steady wind growth led to renewables overtaking coal generation globally for the first time on record, according to a new report from Ember, an independent global energy think tank.
—Daniel Peck, ABC News, 8 Oct. 2025
With the French Broad River overtaking downtown, every business there was eliminated.
—Garret K. Woodward, Rolling Stone, 4 Oct. 2025
Another Democrat needs just $25 to beat the billionaire influences overtaking our country.
—Sarah Stankorb, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025
In 2010, the University of Georgia brought in goats to control an invasive plant overtaking a section of campus.
—Jim Edwards, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2025
The double took his Champions League tally to 52 goals in 50 appearances, overtaking Thierry Henry to draw level with Mohamed Salah in 10th place on the all-time record list.
—Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
As of last year, Gen Z officially became the largest segment of the workforce, overtaking Boomers.
—Gisela Carere, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
As both glaciers melted, Alsek Lake grew significantly, filling in the void left by the Grand Plateau Glacier and gradually overtaking the ice that once surrounded Prow Knob.
—Denise Chow, NBC news, 16 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overtaking
Verb
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Star wide receiver Garrett Wilson was not able to make much of an impact either, only catching three passes for 13 yards.—
Shaun McAvoy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Oct. 2025
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Harrison exited in the second quarter after hitting his head on the turf after catching a 21-yard pass from Jacoby Brissett.—
Jayna Bardahl,
New York Times,
12 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Yet everyone around me seemed to be chasing release by optimizing their prison jobs, their studies, their participation in self-help groups.—
Joe Garcia,
New Yorker,
12 Oct. 2025
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Such a special occasion called for just the right host—an alumnus found on any list of greatest cast members, but one who’s also easily recognizable to the younger audiences that the show is always chasing.—
Michael Tedder,
The Atlantic,
12 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Developed in partnership with the National Film and Television School (NFTS), the TV Freelancers Reskill and Upskill Program is a free virtual training initiative that will offer over 60 one-day online courses reaching up to 1,000 freelancers nationwide.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
14 Oct. 2025
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Three hurricanes—Erin, Gabrielle, and Humberto—intensified to at least Category 4 at their peak, with both Erin and Humberto reaching Category 5 intensity, though all of them did so over the Atlantic rather than on land.—
Simmone Shah,
Time,
14 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Overtaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overtaking. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
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