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- DictionaryO·ver·take/ˌōvərˈtāk/
verb
- 1. catch up with and pass while traveling in the same direction: British "her car overtook a line of vehicles"
- 2. (especially of misfortune) come suddenly or unexpectedly upon: "the pattern of economic ruin overtook them"
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.
Definitions of overtake. verb. catch up with and possibly overtake. synonyms: catch, catch up with. catch. reach in time. verb. travel past. synonyms: overhaul, pass. see more. verb. overcome, as with emotions or perceptual stimuli. synonyms: overcome, overpower, overwhelm, sweep over, whelm. see more. Pronunciation. US. /ˌˈoʊvərˌteɪk/ UK.
1. a. To catch up with; draw even or level with. b. To pass after catching up with. 2. To come upon unexpectedly; take by surprise: geopolitical strategists who were overtaken by events in southeast Asia. American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
[transitive] overtake somebody/something to become greater in number, amount or importance than something else synonym outstrip. Nuclear energy may overtake oil as the main fuel. We mustn't let ourselves be overtaken by our competitors. Quinine has been overtaken by newer drugs.
to become more successful than someone or something else: Tobacco has overtaken coffee to become the country's leading export. overtake verb (GO PAST) B2. to go past a vehicle or person that is going in the same direction: It's dangerous to overtake on a bend.
1. If you overtake a vehicle or a person that is ahead of you and moving in the same direction, you pass them. [mainly British] [...] 2. If someone or something overtakes a competitor, they become more successful than them. [...] 3. If an event overtakes you, it happens unexpectedly or suddenly. [...] More. Conjugations of 'overtake'
3 days ago · 1. transitive verb. If someone or something overtakes a competitor, they become more successful than them. Lung cancer has now overtaken breast cancer as a cause of death for women in the U.S. 2. transitive verb. If a feeling overtakes you, it affects you very strongly. [literary] Something like panic overtook me in a flood.
