overtake
To overtake someone or something means to pass them by moving faster. You could be overtaking your friend on a bike ride if you pedal faster.
When you're driving, you might need to overtake another car that's going too slowly so you can get where you need to go more quickly. But you have to make sure it's safe and follow traffic rules first. Overtaking often happens in situations like this, or when racing or competing in some other way.
How common is "overtake"?
Word overtake is considered uncommon in modern English.
It has a balanced usage among all categories: speech, fiction, newspapers and academic texts.
It has a balanced usage among all categories: speech, fiction, newspapers and academic texts.
Definitions
verb
To pass a slower moving object or entity (on the side closest to oncoming traffic).
Example: The racehorse overtook the lead pack on the last turn.
Real examples of "overtake" in context
