überbieten

to outbid; to surpass or beat a record

verb ue-ber-BEE-ten Rare

Usage Note

überbieten is used in sport for breaking a record (einen Rekord überbieten) and in games or auctions for outbidding a rival (einen Mitspieler überbieten). It takes the accusative; past participle is überboten (inseparable).

Examples

"Der Athlet überbot den Weltrekord um zwei Zentimeter."

Natural Translation

The athlete beat the world record by two centimetres.

Literal Translation

The athlete surpassed the world record by two centimetres.

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