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
In Beijing, Sweden overtook Great Britain for the gold while Canada took bronze.
—
Nbc News, NBC news, 21 Feb. 2026
A number of conservative commentators, including Roger Kimball, Peter Wood, and Chris Rufo, maintain that political conformity overtook élite institutions of higher learning and turned every seminar room into some radical struggle session where students dutifully read Karl Marx and bell hooks.
—Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 17 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
Nbc News, NBC news, 21 Feb. 2026
A number of conservative commentators, including Roger Kimball, Peter Wood, and Chris Rufo, maintain that political conformity overtook élite institutions of higher learning and turned every seminar room into some radical struggle session where students dutifully read Karl Marx and bell hooks.
—Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 17 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overtook
Verb
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When factoring in the exclusion date, the data shows that Arizona has not paid out any claims to providers once they were caught.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Feb. 2026
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Secure loose outdoor items and adjust plans as necessary so you're not caught outside.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Zee, who has storm-chased since college, has a genuine passion for the atmosphere and a dedication to getting young people interested in science.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Aggies chased out Burdick, who lasted just ⅔ of an inning.—
Tony Catalina,
Austin American Statesman,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Relations between India and Canada reached another low point nearly 16 months ago when Trudeau and police officials went public with allegations that Indian diplomats were targeting Sikh separatists in Canada by sharing information about them with their government back home.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 Feb. 2026
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Quenneville reached the mark in his 1,825th game of a career highlighted by three Stanley Cup championships with the Chicago Blackhawks.—
Greg Beacham,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overtook.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overtook. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.
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