outstrip
Americanverb (used with object)
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outstrips,
present (3rd person singular)
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outstripped,
past participle, past
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outstripping
present participle
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to outdo; surpass; excel.
-
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:
Sandisk expects adjusted gross margins to remain at around 80% through 2030 as demand for memory continues to outstrip supply.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
The organization said it expects oil supply growth to far outstrip demand growth next year if the peace deal holds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026
When a company goes public in a highly anticipated listing, investor demand can outstrip the initial supply of shares.
From BBC ● Jun. 15, 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
They weren’t armed, but on the other hand they were flying easily within their power, and might even outstrip her if it came to a chase.
From "The Subtle Knife" by Philip Pullman
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
"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
You travel, golf, volunteer — yet thanks to the power of compound interest, your portfolio growth rate outstrips your spending, so you end up with more at age 90 than you started with at 65.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 17, 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
Revenue outstripped volumes, meanwhile, rising 5.6% on year to $16.66 billion due in part to a concentration on the group’s more premium labels.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
This has actually outstripped the 8% gain chalked up by the index.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 8, 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
The figure handily outstripped the $1.1 million analysts had anticipated.
From Barron's ● May 14, 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
But house prices have risen significantly since, outstripping wage rises most of the time.
From BBC ● Aug. 2, 2026
Moreover, GE Vernova’s expanded capacity has raised concerns about oversupply—but JPMorgan analysts continue to see demand outstripping supply through 2028.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
Anything faster would signal inflation is more persistent, and demand outstripping supply.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 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
“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
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.
