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overtaken

VERB

catch; pass

Synonyms

STRONGEST

beat befall catch up with engulf outdistance outdo outstrip overwhelm

STRONG

better happen hit overhaul reach strike

WEAK

come upon gain on get past get to leave behind take by surprise

Antonyms

STRONGEST

lose

STRONG

fail miss

WEAK

fall behind

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The U.S. has overtaken Saudi Arabia as the world’s biggest oil exporter this year, Reuters reported Thursday, citing data from ship-tracking services Vortexa.

From Barron's • Jun. 11, 2026

Germany has overtaken the U.K. to become Europe’s largest military spender, with its expenditure growing 24% year-over-year to $114 billion, reaching 2.3% of GDP in 2025.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026

Though Hong Kong has overtaken Switzerland as the number one in cross-border wealth management, rather than enter panic mode, Swiss banks seem unruffled -- feeling it bolsters the case against looming tighter banking regulations.

From Barron's • Jun. 4, 2026

Rai harboured hopes of becoming a Formula 1 driver as a youngster, but it was an idea which was quickly overtaken.

From BBC • May 18, 2026

He’d just put as much distance between them and Momma Bear as he could before his exhaustion had overtaken him.

From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz