as in caught
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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Recent Examples of overtook
The flames overtook the apartment—and her with it.
—
Lizzie Johnson, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026
Researchers found that China overtook the United States in scientific output even earlier.
—Caroline Wagner, The Conversation, 24 Apr. 2026
Reddick overtook Kyle Larson on the final lap to claim victory.
—Ryan Brennan
april 22, Miami Herald, 22 Apr. 2026
Ask Not is a heartrending collective portrait of three generations of women born into or married into the Kennedy family and the tragic fates that often overtook them.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 22 Apr. 2026
What led up to this alert Cheboygan is one of several areas of concern in Michigan, where snowmelt from winter storms aggravated by additional rain overtook riverbanks and low-lying areas.
—Joseph Buczek, CBS News, 17 Apr. 2026
Chalamet's first major appearance post-Oscars also comes in the aftermath of a controversy that overtook his awards season campaign.
—Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 15 Apr. 2026
Last year, Florida overtook Texas in carrying out the most executions, accounting for 19 of the 47 state-level executions in 2025.
—The Week Us, TheWeek, 13 Apr. 2026
Cameron Young, who was eight back of McIlroy to start the day, overtook the Grand Slam winner late in the day.
—Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2026
Lizzie Johnson, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026
Researchers found that China overtook the United States in scientific output even earlier.
—Caroline Wagner, The Conversation, 24 Apr. 2026
Reddick overtook Kyle Larson on the final lap to claim victory.
—Ryan Brennan
april 22, Miami Herald, 22 Apr. 2026
Ask Not is a heartrending collective portrait of three generations of women born into or married into the Kennedy family and the tragic fates that often overtook them.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 22 Apr. 2026
What led up to this alert Cheboygan is one of several areas of concern in Michigan, where snowmelt from winter storms aggravated by additional rain overtook riverbanks and low-lying areas.
—Joseph Buczek, CBS News, 17 Apr. 2026
Chalamet's first major appearance post-Oscars also comes in the aftermath of a controversy that overtook his awards season campaign.
—Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 15 Apr. 2026
Last year, Florida overtook Texas in carrying out the most executions, accounting for 19 of the 47 state-level executions in 2025.
—The Week Us, TheWeek, 13 Apr. 2026
Cameron Young, who was eight back of McIlroy to start the day, overtook the Grand Slam winner late in the day.
—Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overtook
Verb
-
Gonzales drove a first-pitch slider to left, and Church jumped and caught the ball above the top of the 6-foot wall, 373 feet from home plate.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
30 Apr. 2026
-
That’s what kept his head on straight in the trenches, even when his socks got bogged down with mud and soldiers flanked on either side of him caught shrapnel or pneumonia.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Bo Bichette led off the bottom of the first with a home run against right-hander Zack Littell, and the Mets chased him from the game in the fourth inning.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Officers briefly chased the suspect through Highland Park, but backed off.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
When maintenance issues reached a crisis point with sewage overflow in 2023, residents turned to the attorney general to intervene.—
Don Stacom,
Hartford Courant,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Per Disney, the first episode has reached 11 million viewers across all platforms in its first 35 days of availability.—
Joe Otterson,
Variety,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overtook.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overtook. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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