verb · neutral
overtake
UK/ˌəʊvəˈteɪk/US/ˌoʊvərˈteɪk/o·ver·TAKE
Band 6-7speakingtask1
to go past a vehicle or person that is going more slowly than you
Examples
“He decided to overtake the lorry on the left.”
“It is illegal to overtake on a solid white line.”
“Drivers should only overtake when the road ahead is clear.”
Band 8 sentence
“Drivers must exercise caution when overtaking on rural roads, ensuring visibility and signalling appropriately.”
Collocations
- overtake a car
- overtake on the left/right
- illegal to overtake
Word family
overtake verbovertook verb (past)overtaken past participle
Common mistakes
pass (always used instead of overtake)→overtake
overtake someone by→overtake someone on
Say it for a higher band
5pass→6get past→7+overtake
Synonyms
pass
Easily confused
pass
“He decided to pass the slow-moving truck after checking the road was clear.”
Related words
Learn this word with the rest of its set, and get reminded at the right time.
In Transport & Traffic
Learn it with its set