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overtake
[oh-ver-teyk]
verb (used with object)
to catch up with in traveling or pursuit; draw even with.
By taking a cab to the next town, we managed to overtake and board the train.
to catch up with and pass, as in a race; move by.
He overtook the leader three laps from the finish.
to move ahead of in achievement, production, score, etc.; surpass.
to overtake all other countries in steel production.
to happen to or befall someone suddenly or unexpectedly, as night, a storm, or death.
The pounding rainstorm overtook them just outside the city.
verb (used without object)
to pass another vehicle.
Never overtake on a curve.
overtake
/ ˌəʊvəˈteɪk /
verb
to move past (another vehicle or person) travelling in the same direction
(tr) to pass or do better than, after catching up with
(tr) to come upon suddenly or unexpectedly
night overtook him
(tr) to catch up with; draw level with
Other Word Forms
- unovertaken adjective
Word History and Origins
Example Sentences
Williamson told the inquiry on Tuesday he had thought he had "won the argument" around children going back to school in January 2021, "but events overtook".
He described it as a "catastrophic decision to overtake at the last second".
Most residents of the state are accustomed to the idea of earthquakes, but scientists say a particularly dangerous type has been largely ignored: "supershear" earthquakes that move so quickly they overtake their own seismic waves.
Rather than disappear completely, scientists say reefs will evolve into less diverse ecosystems as they are overtaken by algae, sponges and other simpler organisms better able to withstand hotter oceans.
Militants overtook the vehicle and slaughtered its crew, the report said.
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Related Words
- beat
- befall
- catch up with www.thesaurus.com
- engulf
- outdistance
- outdo
- outstrip
- overwhelm
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