overtake
Americanverb (used with object)
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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.
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to catch up with and pass, as in a race; move by.
He overtook the leader three laps from the finish.
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to move ahead of in achievement, production, score, etc.; surpass.
to overtake all other countries in steel production.
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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)
verb
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to move past (another vehicle or person) travelling in the same direction
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(tr) to pass or do better than, after catching up with
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(tr) to come upon suddenly or unexpectedly
night overtook him
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(tr) to catch up with; draw level with
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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overtakesimple
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overtakessimple
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have overtakenperfect
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has overtakenperfect
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am overtakingprogressive
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are overtakingprogressive
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is overtakingprogressive
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have been overtakingperfect progressive
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has been overtakingperfect progressive
Past
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overtooksimple
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had overtakenperfect
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was overtakingprogressive
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were overtakingprogressive
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had been overtakingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of overtake
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English overtaken; see over-, take
Vocabulary lists containing overtake
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:
Although Japan and the Netherlands are the favorites to win the group, Sweden could overtake both with a win, provided the Dutch do no better than a draw.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 23, 2026
On its third day as a public company, its market value is poised to overtake that of Amazon.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 16, 2026
And unlike the ECB, hope the news flow next Thursday doesn’t overtake him.
From Barron's ● Jun. 12, 2026
If the car in front is struggling with rear tyre wear, and is therefore limited on grip during acceleration, that, combined with overtake mode, just might make them vulnerable to the car behind.
From BBC ● Jun. 3, 2026
Heraclitus says, “Not even the sun will transgress his orbit but the Erinyes, the ministers of justice, overtake him.”
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
I do not think Qualcomm overtakes Nvidia on raw AI performance — but it does not have to.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 25, 2026
This is what has led two-time champion Fernando Alonso to refer to many overtakes this year as "avoiding actions".
From BBC ● Jun. 3, 2026
Even when they’re ahead of his pace, they know it’s only a matter of time until the American overtakes them and leaves them in the dust.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 21, 2026
He overtakes two of his compatriots who have won eight golds at Winter Olympics -- former cross-country skiers Marit Bjoergen and Bjoern Daehlie, and former biathlete Ole Einar Bjoerndalen.
From Barron's ● Feb. 15, 2026
“In their youth, mortals behave more like nymphs. Adulthood seems impossibly distant, let alone the enfeeblement of old age. But ponderously, inevitably, it overtakes you. I find it a frustrating, humbling, infuriating experience.”
From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull
Last term, when there were both more cases and more referrals to the full court, the appeals to the shadow docket finally overtook those to the merits docket.
From Salon ● Jul. 3, 2026
The $14.7-million repainting of the Reflecting Pool became particularly controversial last month after algae overtook the renovated pool and the new paint appeared to peel off.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 2, 2026
Michael also overtook Oppenheimer despite Noan's film benefitting from the viral "Barbenheimer" phenomenon in the summer of 2023.
From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026
On Monday, it briefly overtook rival Samsung Electronics as South Korea's most valuable listed company by market capitalization.
From Barron's ● Jun. 24, 2026
Cora collapsed on the rocks and wept until sleep overtook her.
From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead
The room is overtaken with projections, scenes of bustling New York traffic paired with bachelor-pad-like guitar riffs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
Plans for celebrating the United States's 250th anniversary on Saturday have been quickly overtaken by storm preparations, with both Guam and the Northern Marianas declaring a state of emergency.
From Barron's ● Jul. 4, 2026
The latest analyses show the UK still behind most of the G7 but having overtaken Germany after the hit to its economy from the 2022 energy crisis.
From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2026
Memory-chip maker SK Hynix has overtaken Samsung Electronics to become South Korea’s most valuable company amid the AI-driven chip boom.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026
The great fear Duane had as they climbed up the mountain was being overtaken and replaced by something more powerful: the feeling of exhilaration.
From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el
The number of ships using this Omani route grew to a peak of 28 vessels on 25 June, Kpler's data shows, overtaking the number of transits via the Iranian route.
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
Earlier this week, Kim vowed to strengthen his military “with a goal of overtaking the world” and oversaw the test of tactical missiles and an upgraded rocket launcher that puts South Korea within range.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
This delayed overtaking of Pratt by Raman was largely expected, because California’s vote-by-mail system accepts ballots postmarked on or before Election Day and received within seven days of the election.
From Slate ● Jun. 11, 2026
Billionaire Democrat Tom Steyer is in third place in the current ballot tally, and the odds of him overtaking Hilton appear increasingly unlikely.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 9, 2026
A serious headache was overtaking me by the time I headed for study hall with Danny tagging behind.
From "Warriors Don't Cry: A Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock's Central High" by Melba Pattillo Beals
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.
