outstrip

American  

[out-strip] / ˌaʊtˈstrɪp /

verb (used with object)

• outstrips,
  present (3rd person singular)
• outstripped,
  past participle,  past
• outstripping
  present participle

1. to outdo; surpass; excel.

2. to outdo or pass in running or swift travel.

   A car can outstrip the local train.

3. to get ahead of or leave behind in a race or in any course of competition.

4. to exceed.

   a demand that outstrips the supply.

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outstrip British  

/ ˌaʊtˈstrɪp /

verb

1. to surpass in a sphere of activity, competition, etc

2. to be or grow greater than

3. to go faster than and leave behind

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

• outstripping
  present
• outstripped
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• outstrip
  simple
• outstrips
  simple
• have outstripped
  perfect
• has outstripped
  perfect
• am outstripping
  progressive
• are outstripping
  progressive
• is outstripping
  progressive
• have been outstripping
  perfect progressive
• has been outstripping
  perfect progressive

Past

• outstripped
  simple
• had outstripped
  perfect
• was outstripping
  progressive
• were outstripping
  progressive
• had been outstripping
  perfect progressive

Future

• will outstrip
  simple
• will have outstripped
  perfect
• will be outstripping
  progressive
• will have been outstripping
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of outstrip

First recorded in 1570–80; out- + strip ¹

Explanation

While outstrip might make you think about undressing, it really means outdoing. If the productivity of your garden outstrips your neighbor's, expect the neighborhood to come calling for fresh vegetables. If one thing outstrips another, it exceeds it or goes beyond it. When you outstrip someone during a race, you pass them. When one company’s profits outstrip another’s, they make more money. When the productivity of one nation outstrips the neighboring nation, they will have a bigger Gross National Product.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

outstrip outstrips outstripped outstripping

Fortunately, it also increases Megaport’s exposure to digital-infrastructure demand that MS believes will significantly outstrip supply.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

Sandisk expects adjusted gross margins to remain at around 80% through 2030 as demand for memory continues to outstrip supply.

From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026

A selloff in global tech stocks intensified Tuesday, leaving investors worried about higher interest rates, stretched valuations and the prospect that the billions of dollars in artificial-intelligence spending will outstrip the expectation of blockbuster profits.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026

When a company goes public in a highly anticipated listing, investor demand can outstrip the initial supply of shares.

From BBC ● Jun. 15, 2026

Ernest did not object, now that the tube’s capacity to generate research funds appeared to outstrip that of the cyclotron.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

In terms of intrigue, the appointment of Pietersen outstrips anything that has come before.

From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026

Her compensation as stated in the latest available tax filings outstrips the pay for leaders of much larger nonprofits in the homelessness arena.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026

But one way stocks can slow is when new issuance overwhelms investors, as supply outstrips demand.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026

So long as Nvidia continues to use all three suppliers and memory demand outstrips overall supply, Micron should resume its rally.

From Barron's ● Jun. 8, 2026

I have imagined him afraid many times, but the reality outstrips those imaginings.

From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black

It means the price of electricity will fall, but that's been more than outstripped by an 8% rise in the price of gas.

From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026

That changed during the Covid-19 pandemic, when demand to move vehicles outstripped the supply of ships.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

Demand for the iPhone and Mac has outstripped forecasts, resulting in bottlenecks for the advanced chips that power these devices.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 31, 2026

The large donations from individuals meant Reform's fundraising efforts far outstripped those of both Labour and the Conservatives, who each declared around £4m in donations from private sources over the period.

From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2026

I dug my heels into my horse's ribs and urged her into a gait that, for a short time, outstripped even Falconer.

From "The Shakespeare Stealer" by Gary L. Blackwood

The World Platinum Investment Council, an industry group, forecast in May that the platinum market would experience a fourth consecutive year of deficits in 2026, with demand outstripping supply.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026

While more total spending is done with clubs outside of England, the proportion of big-money domestic deals is now outstripping overseas transfers.

From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026

A surge in car exports from China is outstripping the capacity of the global shipping industry, booking out specialized car carriers years ahead.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

But house prices have risen significantly since, outstripping wage rises most of the time.

From BBC ● Aug. 2, 2026

But the complexity of nuclear physics was rapidly outstripping the capabilities of the laboratory apparatus of small science.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Related Words

• exceed
• outdo
• overtake
• transcend