as in to catch
to move fast enough to get even with she had to hurry to overtake her friends, who had forgotten their umbrellas the thunderstorm overtook them suddenly

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of overtake Participants in a demonstration by the service workers’ union ver.di were walking along a street at about 10:30 a.m. when the car overtook a police vehicle following the gathering, accelerated and plowed into the back of the group, police said. Geir Moulson, Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2025 As the emerging metropolis began to overtake San Francisco as the most populated city in the West, shrewd real estate developers began to cast their eyes up to the foothills of the Santa Monica and San Gabriel mountains. Jenny Jarvie, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2025 The Shelley scene is the first of 12 such exhibits, demonstrating how inventions gradually overtook natural intelligence and then, like Frankenstein’s monster, destroyed it. Jesse Green, New York Times, 5 Feb. 2025 China overtook Japan as the biggest vehicle exporter last year, helped by government support for EVs. Afp, CBS News, 5 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for overtake
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overtake
Verb
  • The show follows a Secret Service agent caught in a web of conspiracy after the U.S. president is assassinated, with no suspect in sight.
    Brittney Melton, NPR, 28 Feb. 2025
  • Attendees pose in front of Halloween decorations, then scramble to catch a photo beneath artificial snow nearby.
    Julius Miller, Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Another incident involved a grizzly sow with two cubs chasing a series of cars on icy roads.
    Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 21 Feb. 2025
  • Trail: For Palestine Comedy Club, as Palestinians chase laughter in the face of conflict.
    Max Goldbart, Deadline, 21 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • The American leader expressed confidence that Putin won't press to restart the war if a truce can be reached.
    JILL LAWLESS AND AAMER MADHANI THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, arkansasonline.com, 28 Feb. 2025
  • Pittsburgh plays Fordham and New York University competes against Georgetown. 1957 — Johnny Longden becomes the first jockey in history to reach 5,000 victories.
    Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Overtake.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overtake. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.

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