overtakes
Catches then passes
Overtakes is the present tense of overtake, meaning to catch up with and pass.
A faster car overtakes a slower one on the highway.
By extension, to overtake is to surpass in achievement or quantity: China overtook Japan as the world's second-largest economy.
Events or emotions can overtake someone suddenly: Exhaustion overtook her.
In British usage, overtaking is the standard term for what Americans call passing while driving.
Exceeds in quality
- exceedsGoes past a boundary
- outstripsSurpasses in performance
- outpacesExceeds in speed
- outperformsExceeds in achievement
eclipses · outdoes · tops · beats · bests · outshines · outclasses · trumps
Swallows up completely
- floodsOverflowing onto dry land
- inundatesOverwhelms with quantity
- consumesTakes in completely
- swallowsGulps or migratory birds
envelops · submerges · overcomes · overpowers · drowns · swamps · buries · smothers
Holds firmly onto
- seizesTakes by force
- overcomesDefeats or masters
- overwhelmsConquers by superior force
- possessesHolds as property
consumes · strikes · hits · descends · sudden · unexpected · uncontrollable · panic
surpasses
Exceeds in quality
outperforms · eclipses · outdoes · tops · beats · bests · outshines · outclasses · trumps · transcends
engulfs
Swallows up completely
swallows · envelops · submerges · overcomes · overpowers · drowns · swamps · buries · smothers · blankets
grips
Holds firmly onto
- seizesTakes by force
- overcomesDefeats or masters
- overwhelmsConquers by superior force
possesses · consumes · strikes · hits · descends · sudden · unexpected · uncontrollable · panic · dread
passes
Goes beyond or through
oncoming · dangerous · illegal · tailgating · highway · autobahn · merge
- butting inbutts in, breaks in, barges in, chimes in, intrudes
- race datalap time, fastest lap, split time, finish time, qualifying time