as in caught
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 overtook
Japanese snowboarder Yuto Totsuka also overtook first place from his fellow countryman Ryusei Yamada.
—
Andrew Greif, NBC news, 13 Feb. 2026
Dreamt up by Handshake, one of Mexico City’s reigning cocktail bars, the mixed drinks were a welcome complement to the food—and though both were assertive in flavor and preparation, neither one overtook the other.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Feb. 2026
Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City overtook the work of those at Carrington.
—Carl Anka, New York Times, 31 Jan. 2026
Meta cofounder Mark Zuckerberg overtook Bezos as the world’s fourth-richest person Thursday after Meta’s fourth-quarter earnings exceeded Wall Street’s expectations for quarterly revenue.
—Antonio Pequeño Iv, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Sales of all-electric vehicles overtook gasoline-only ones in Europe for the first time in December, boosted by an influx of low-cost Chinese models.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 27 Jan. 2026
Chicago’s largest airport overtook Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson to become the busiest airfield in the country last year, according to preliminary federal data.
—Talia Soglin, Chicago Tribune, 27 Jan. 2026
Last week, Google briefly overtook Apple in market value for the first time since 2019.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 12 Jan. 2026
This week, Alphabet’s market capitalization overtook Apple’s for the first time since 2019.
—Pia Singh, CNBC, 10 Jan. 2026
Andrew Greif, NBC news, 13 Feb. 2026
Dreamt up by Handshake, one of Mexico City’s reigning cocktail bars, the mixed drinks were a welcome complement to the food—and though both were assertive in flavor and preparation, neither one overtook the other.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Feb. 2026
Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City overtook the work of those at Carrington.
—Carl Anka, New York Times, 31 Jan. 2026
Meta cofounder Mark Zuckerberg overtook Bezos as the world’s fourth-richest person Thursday after Meta’s fourth-quarter earnings exceeded Wall Street’s expectations for quarterly revenue.
—Antonio Pequeño Iv, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Sales of all-electric vehicles overtook gasoline-only ones in Europe for the first time in December, boosted by an influx of low-cost Chinese models.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 27 Jan. 2026
Chicago’s largest airport overtook Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson to become the busiest airfield in the country last year, according to preliminary federal data.
—Talia Soglin, Chicago Tribune, 27 Jan. 2026
Last week, Google briefly overtook Apple in market value for the first time since 2019.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 12 Jan. 2026
This week, Alphabet’s market capitalization overtook Apple’s for the first time since 2019.
—Pia Singh, CNBC, 10 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overtook
Verb
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The good boy's sprint was caught by the photo finish camera.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
Entertainment Weekly,
19 Feb. 2026
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The body camera footage has caught social media's attention since being released, with clips from the video circulating on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and X, garnering thousands of views.—
Ryan Hansen,
USA Today,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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An immigration officer chased Aljorna who, according to the government, violently resisted arrest.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Feb. 2026
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Tennessee Tech's starting pitcher lasted just ⅔ of an inning before being chased out.—
Tony Catalina,
Austin American Statesman,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In a career spanning more than two decades that reached the heights of appearing at a World Cup, Ben Foster’s time at Wrexham should, by rights, be little more than a footnote.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
20 Feb. 2026
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The former prince reached an out-of-court settlement with Giuffre in 2022.—
Kim Hjelmgaard,
USA Today,
20 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overtook.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overtook. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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