OVERTOOK Synonyms: 10 Similar and Opposite Words

overtook

verb

past tense of overtake

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

fell short

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 overtook One vessel overtook another one, and there was a collision that happened. — Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 27 June 2026 In May, solar overtook coal in US power generation for the first time. — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 18 June 2026 Fan favorite Keegan Bradley overtook him on the final hole, despite not having led all tournament until that point. — Kels Dayton, Hartford Courant, 16 June 2026 By mid-2025, annual overtook monthly. — Frank Racioppi, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026 Firefighters killed The fire that forced evacuation of the river rafters and campers claimed the lives of three wildland firefighters and injured two others in Mesa County as flames overtook them. — Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 29 June 2026 Disney also recently overtook Prime Video to become the second-biggest investor in local original content in Asia behind Netflix. — Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 22 June 2026 Security measures have increased since thousands of fans, many of whom were rooting for Colombia in a match against Argentina, stormed the gates, overwhelmed security and overtook the stadium without tickets. — Amaia Gavica, Miami Herald, 26 June 2026 Richards overtook England centre-back John Stones, who completed 71 undisturbed passes against France in a 2022 quarter-final. — Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 13 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for overtook

Verb

While once exclusive to skateboarders for their ease of movement, thanks to a crop of particular designers’ spring/summer 2026 collections—from Dries Van Noten, to Khaite and TWP—they’ve caught the eye of the fashion set, too.

— Cortne Bonilla, Vogue, 2 July 2026
The circular logic of it would be darkly comic if tens of thousands of livelihoods weren't caught in the middle.

— Jemma Green, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026

Definition of caught

Verb

Businesses chased the trend, with clubs and day spas marketing group packages to bachelorettes, and cities like Nashville and Austin branding themselves as bachelorette party hot spots.

— Jennifer Liu, CNBC, 5 July 2026
Later, Gabriel tore Haaland’s shirt, the light-blue fabric trailing in the breeze as the pair chased a loose ball.

— Jack Lang, New York Times, 5 July 2026

Definition of chased

Verb

Historic heat Since Thursday, heat in the East has broken at least three dozen daily high temperature records, many warmest-low-temperature records as heat reached levels that some cities haven’t experienced in more than a decade.

— Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 4 July 2026
Just as Argentina was set to take on Cape Verde, FIFA’s Fan Fest at Bayfront Park reached capacity.

— Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 4 July 2026

Definition of reached

Browse Nearby Words

overtones

overtook

overtop

See all Nearby Words

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Style

“Overtook.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overtook. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of overtook

verb

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