outstrip
Americanverb (used with object)
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to outdo; surpass; excel.
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to outdo or pass in running or swift travel.
A car can outstrip the local train.
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to get ahead of or leave behind in a race or in any course of competition.
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to exceed.
a demand that outstrips the supply.
verb
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to surpass in a sphere of activity, competition, etc
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to be or grow greater than
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to go faster than and leave behind
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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outstripsimple
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outstripssimple
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have outstrippedperfect
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has outstrippedperfect
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am outstrippingprogressive
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are outstrippingprogressive
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is outstrippingprogressive
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have been outstrippingperfect progressive
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has been outstrippingperfect progressive
Past
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outstrippedsimple
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had outstrippedperfect
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was outstrippingprogressive
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were outstrippingprogressive
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had been outstrippingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of outstrip
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.
Vocabulary lists containing outstrip
Flowers for Algernon
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Grendel
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Sapiens
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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.
See Examples For:
Samsung's latest forecast, released on Tuesday ahead of its full results due later in July, comes as demand for semiconductors continues to outstrip supplies - which has pushed up prices.
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026
Wedbush analyst Matt Bryson told MarketWatch that investors may increasingly be worried about shifting fundamentals in the memory market and the prospect of supply coming to outstrip demand.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 5, 2026
The International Energy Agency already forecasts average demand of 104 million barrels a day this year will outstrip supplies of around 102.2 million barrels.
From Barron's ● May 19, 2026
“The legal process for an appeal would likely outstrip that time frame. In the interim, we expect work on the Section 301 probes to accelerate,” he added.
From MarketWatch ● May 8, 2026
No one knew better than Ernest that his expansion plans would outstrip the resources of the university, the Rockefeller Foundation, and the Research Corporation, his customary financial backers.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
Population growth of 2% per annum in the U.S. far outstrips the 0.8% of the United Kingdom, while the U.S.’s real GDP is substantially higher at 3.6% versus 2.1%.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 3, 2026
"In my experience, Jannik the person outstrips Jannik the athlete. It is his simple manner, his sincerity, his openness and his direct connection with people."
From BBC ● Jun. 22, 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
Now, analysts forecast a full-year operating profit of $77 billion, as demand for the company’s chips outstrips supply.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 10, 2026
I have imagined him afraid many times, but the reality outstrips those imaginings.
From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black
Hardware, memory, power equipment, utilities and grid modernization — areas all tied to the data-center buildout needed for AI — are among the other sectors that have benefited as demand has outstripped supply, said Almeida.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 12, 2026
That outstripped the 52 percent who referenced TV news, 51 percent for newspaper apps or websites, and 21 percent for radio.
From Barron's ● Jun. 15, 2026
The growth in points has outstripped the rise in the winning margin as well.
From BBC ● Apr. 24, 2026
Soaring sales have far outstripped predictions and enabled the firm to jack up prices and profit margins.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 19, 2026
Once more he is the smart Himmelstoss of the parade-ground, he has even outstripped the lieutenant and is far ahead.
From "All Quiet on the Western Front: A Novel" by Erich Maria Remarque
Equally, though, his supporters would point to his personal appeal seemingly outstripping his party, connecting with parts of the region his party cannot reach.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Compute-hungry data centres, which power AI, need more and more chips to keep up with demand from AI companies - which means the demand for them is far outstripping supply.
From BBC ● Jun. 27, 2026
Counting Thursday’s gains, shares are up 20% this year, outstripping a 10% gain for the benchmark S&P 500.
From Barron's ● Jun. 4, 2026
Luna’s campaign spent about $515,000 from April 19 to May 16, far outstripping those of his challengers, records show.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 28, 2026
Meanwhile, Woods told me, the city began outstripping its water supply, a “somewhat wimpy” tributary called Canteen Creek.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
