as in catches
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
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Recent Examples of overtakes
Opposition occurs when Earth, moving faster in its orbit than Jupiter, overtakes the giant planet.
—
Joe Rao, Space.com, 7 Jan. 2026
But there comes a point where the infection overtakes the body.
—Jason Lloyd, New York Times, 17 Dec. 2025
Ancestors are memorialized but then assured that the rum still flows as drunkenness overtakes our narrator.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025
But director Kurtis David Harder (Influencer) imbues the proceedings with a slow-boiling paranoid energy that slowly overtakes the film.
—Samantha Allen, Them., 7 Oct. 2025
Another task, another job, becomes unavoidable when an explosion of cats and kittens overtakes the property.
—Rebecca Van Laer
september 30, Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2025
Staying competitive as Gen Z overtakes the workforce means listening, learning and evolving constantly.
—Gisela Carere, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Set in a small town in King’s home state of Maine, The Mist follows a group of characters who take shelter in a grocery store when a mysterious fog filled with eldritch monsters overtakes the town.
—James Grebey, Time, 12 Sep. 2025
Pete doesn't get far before the cold overtakes him.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overtakes
Verb
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Australian Geographic reports that the bird catches prey midair during hunting.—
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Despite these close ties, the identity of the murderer catches her completely by surprise.—
Verb
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Mindy chases Emily down in massive platforms to confront her over this behavior.—
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The SoHo store is reopening at a time when holiday shoppers and tourists flock to the major shopping district for holiday gifts and party outfits — and as Target chases sales across the country during the critical shopping season.—
Verb
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An albino raccoon named Cricket reaches through the wires of its cage to grab an animal cracker, an appetizer treat right before the evening meal.—
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Her mom then tries to follow suit, but Christiansen reaches over to gently slap her on the head to stop her from kissing the baby.—
Cite this Entry
“Overtakes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overtakes. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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