Pronunciation

/ˌoʊvərˈteɪk/

Definitions

• Verb: (transitive) To catch up with and pass another vehicle, person, or thing that was ahead. For example: “The faster car soon overtook the slower one on the highway.”
  • Definition Extension: It can also mean to surpass someone in a competition or in terms of development, progress, or achievement. Example: “Her dedication to practice allowed her to overtake her opponents in the race.”

Phrases

• “Overtake from behind” – to pass something or someone by going around them while they are in front.
• “Be overtaken by events” – to be rendered irrelevant or unnecessary because of subsequent developments.
• “To overtake someone’s position” – to take over or surpass someone’s rank, status, or accomplishments.

Example Sentences

• Verb (in traffic context): “The bus managed to safely overtake the lorry on the straight stretch of road.”
• Verb (in competitive context): “Through sheer determination, he finally overtook the leader in the last lap of the marathon.”
• Idiomatic use: “Their innovative technology quickly overtook that of their competitors in the market.”

Synonyms

• Pass
• Surpass
• Catch up with
• Outstrip
• Exceed
• Leave behind
• Outdistance
• Overcome
• Supersede

Note: While “overtake” primarily functions as a verb, it doesn’t have a distinct usage as a noun, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction, pronoun, numeral, or interjection within standard English language conventions.