outpace
verb (used with object)
to surpass or exceed, as in speed, development, or performance.
had been outpacing
-
past perfect progressiveof outpace.past perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that was ongoing continuously in the past up until another past event interrupted it.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
International funds had been outpacing their U.S. counterparts, but now the rivals are relatively even so far for the year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 7, 2026
This marks a change: these workers’ earnings gains had been outpacing increases for all workers in the past year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 10, 2026
Demand for goods had been outpacing supplies and production capacity through most of the post-pandemic recovery.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 8, 2022
