OVERTAKING Synonyms: 10 Similar and Opposite Words

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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

falling 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 overtaking If Manning was actually named 'Joe Smith', Steve Sarkisian would have already given the backup quarterbacks at least a shot at overtaking Arch Manning as the starter. — Trey Wallace Outkick, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2026 Pants that hang off the hips in a very low-effort way are overtaking high-rise jeans in popularity. — Bianca Kratky, Glamour, 8 Oct. 2026 Based on his observations thus far, Spasojevic believes the burros could play an important role in the local ecosystem by grazing on non-native grasses and preventing them from overtaking native plants. — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026 The social media giant’s push into the AI agent market with its Muse personal AI assistant has seen a rush of consumer demand, overtaking OpenAI’s ChatGPT as the leading free iOS app. — Samantha Subin,chris Eudaily, CNBC, 28 Sep. 2026 But the notion of bots overtaking the extremely bifurcated internet is far-fetched to some AI experts. — ABC News, 23 Sep. 2026 What is often maligned as one of the worst tracks for racing due to the lack of overtaking opportunities will now have an extra race, surely opening the door for even more criticism. — Luke Smith, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026 The movie outlines his early childhood in South Africa (complete with an interview with his father, Errol Musk), and covers Musk overtaking Tesla and the acquisition of Twitter. — Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Sep. 2026 Removing suckers early prevents them from overtaking the tree and keeps its shape intact. — Nadia Hassani, The Spruce, 12 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for overtaking

Verb

That play was Santa Margarita royalty at its best — a Mosley catching a touchdown pass from a Palmer, the son of the head coach.

— Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
Smith also had an uncharacteristic day, catching only four passes for 68 yards.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of catching

Verb

Businesses that rediscover its values will gain what their velocity-chasing competitors cannot buy, borrow, or automate.

— Matt Alt, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026
In January 2025, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch changed the department pursuit policy, barring cops from chasing after vehicles fleeing car stops unless a felony crime or a violent misdemeanor was committed.

— John Annese, New York Daily News, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of chasing

Verb

Anthropic wants Congress to set strict limits on when federal authorities can stop advanced AI models from reaching users.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
His friends and assistant also help keep him on track, showing how a supportive village can go a long way to reaching your goals.

— Maira Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of reaching

Browse Nearby Words

overtakes

overtaking

overtax

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Overtaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overtaking. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of overtaking

verb

Example Sentences

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