Definition

1. Verb (transitive):
   • To catch up with and pass (a moving person or vehicle) while traveling in the same direction: This is the most common meaning, referring to moving past something ahead by going faster.
   • To become greater or more significant than something else: To exceed or surpass in amount, degree, or intensity.
   • To come upon someone suddenly or unexpectedly, especially with a powerful effect: To overwhelm, as with an emotion, event, or disaster.

Examples of Usage

• Verb (transitive):
  • The cyclist accelerated to overtake the bus on the straight road.
  • Demand for the new product could overtake supply within weeks.
  • A sudden feeling of dread overtook him as he entered the dark room.

Advanced Usage

• "to be overtaken by events": To be rendered irrelevant or obsolete because circumstances have changed rapidly.
  • Our original plan was overtaken by events when the market crashed.
• "to overtake someone as something": To surpass someone in rank, position, or achievement.
  • She is expected to overtake her mentor as the leading expert in the field.

Variants and Related Words

• Overtaking (noun): The act of passing another vehicle.
  • Signs warn against dangerous overtaking on this hill.
• Overtook (past tense): The simple past form of 'overtake'.
  • The faster car overtook us just before the finish line.
• Overtaken (past participle): Used to form perfect tenses and the passive voice.
  • We have been overtaken by our competitors in sales this quarter.

Synonyms

• Pass: To move past something.
• Surpass: To exceed, to be better or greater than.
• Outstrip: To move faster than and overtake; to exceed.
• Overwhelm: To affect someone very strongly (for the emotional sense).

Related Phrasal Verbs

(Note: 'Overtake' itself is not typically used in phrasal verb constructions. The action is contained within the single verb.)

Related Idioms

• "Overtake and overwhelm": Often used together to emphasize a sudden, powerful effect.
  • Fear can overtake and overwhelm even the bravest person.

Verb

1. overcome, as with emotions or perceptual stimuli
2. travel past
   • The sports car passed all the trucks
3. catch up with and possibly overtake
   • The Rolls Royce caught us near the exit ramp