overtaking

verb

present participle of overtake
as in catching
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 overtaking While Anthropic looks to be overtaking OpenAI at the moment, OpenAI is still solidly stitched into the fabric of the AI buildout, and analysts don’t think the company is going anywhere. — Tobias Burns, CNBC, 19 Aug. 2026 Burger King has reclaimed its place as America’s second-largest burger chain, overtaking Wendy’s and trailing only McDonald’s in sales. — Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 18 Aug. 2026 Combining their charter fleets will move them to the sixth spot, overtaking PlaneSense and closing on fifth-place flyExclusive. — Doug Gollan, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026 The sleepy Silicon Valley enclave has reclaimed its title as the country’s most expensive ZIP code, overtaking Miami’s Fisher Island after home prices surged during the first half of the year. — Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 6 Aug. 2026 Right now, banana lattes are having a moment, overtaking matcha as the internet’s drink of choice. — Abby Norman, Verywell Health, 5 Aug. 2026 While Chicago’s postseason probabilities are high, its chances of overtaking Milwaukee in the National League Central are low, meaning the Cubs are unlikely to receive a first-round bye. — Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 30 July 2026 And with watermelons overtaking the markets right now, there’s no better time to join in. — Nina Moskowitz, Bon Appetit Magazine, 24 July 2026 The track offers fewer overtaking opportunities for drivers, while also producing some unexpected results occasionally; the most recent example being Esteban Ocon's win with Alpine in 2021. — Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 24 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overtaking
  1. catching
  2. chasing
  3. reaching
Verb
  • The Braves have Drake Baldwin and Sean Murphy atop their catching depth chart, but a brutal injury setback involving veteran backstop Sandy Leon has now forced the organization to seek out another experienced option.
    — Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • But there’s also a similar pathology and high that comes from going deep undercover for the animal cops and eventually catching their prize, which might be Anson Wong, Michael Van Nostrand or Tommy Crutchfield.
    — Katie Campione, Deadline, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of catching
Verb
  • More usual suspects crop up throughout the ‘security goal’ list, with the ability to be in the right place at the right time often important as games become more stretched when a losing team starts chasing a game.
    — Art de Roché, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026
  • The investigation The Rochester Police Department launched an investigation into Snookie’s killing that would span years, chasing lead after lead.
    — Annalise Peterson, NBC news, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of chasing
Verb
  • Built in 1884 to serve the area’s booming silver mines, the narrow-gauge railroad climbs nearly 600 feet in just two miles, crossing the famous Devil’s Gate High Bridge before reaching the historic mining town of Silver Plume.
    — Jocelyn Rowley, Denver Post, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Sunday was the hottest day of the year since 2023, with temperatures reaching 109 degrees at DFW Airport.
    — Lauren Bostwick, CBS News, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of reaching

Browse Nearby Words

overtakes
overtaking
overtax
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Cite this Entry

“Overtaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overtaking. Accessed 28 Aug. 2026.

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