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
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.
As debt levels rise, some fear that the supply of bonds will outstrip demand, forcing governments to pay higher interest rates.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026
That demand for CPUs continues to outstrip Intel’s growing supply is a positive sign that trends are sustainable, he added.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 23, 2026
Memory chip demand is projected to outstrip supply until mid-2027, with 30-50% pricing gains expected in second quarter 2026.
From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026
Bank of America analysts reinstated coverage of the company with a “Buy” rating late last month, saying demand for its services is likely to outstrip supply through at least 2029.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 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
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.
