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

It means the rain we are expecting this week is likely to far outstrip what has fallen recently in some areas.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026

England have had many memorable games in the past six decades - but winning this match would outstrip them all and offer the chance for a historic triumph in Sunday's World Cup final against Spain.

From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026

If that happens, the tax credit could in some ways outstrip what parents get from the state.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 31, 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

Hrothgar, who’d begun hardly stronger than the others, began to outstrip the rest.

From "Grendel" by John Gardner

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

Investors and analysts say Strategy can’t protect both its common and preferred shareholders while also servicing a $1.8 billion annual dividend obligation on its preferred stocks—a cash requirement that vastly outstrips its core software revenue.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 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

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

From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black

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

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

"But in 2026, it is now the largest diaspora community within Australia. It has outstripped the British, which is a huge demographic change," she told AFP.

From Barron's ● Jul. 9, 2026

With tourism directly contributing 13% of Spain's GDP, the industry has been a crucial component in the country's growth of recent years, which has outstripped that of France, Germany, Italy and the UK.

From BBC ● Jun. 7, 2026

They took turns riding Harry’s Nimbus Two Thousand, which was easily the best broom; Ron’s old Shooting Star was often outstripped by passing butterflies.

From "Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets" by J. K. Rowling

With demand growth outstripping new power supply, incumbent power plants could reap higher prices for their output without putting much capital at risk.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

Hotter readings would call for a policy response because it would suggest demand is outstripping supply rather than one-off costs working through prices.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026

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

“Tech-nology was outstripping cognitive capacity,” Dr. Atchley explains.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel

Related Words

• exceed
• outdo
• overtake
• transcend