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überholen

to overtake, to pass (a vehicle)

verb ue-ber-HOH-len Rare
Travel & Places Movement

Also means

to overhaul (a machine)

Usage Note

überholen means to pass another vehicle on the road — usually requiring moving into an adjacent lane. Road rules stipulate when overtaking is permitted; Überholverbot means no overtaking. In a figurative sense, die Konkurrenz überholen means to overtake or outpace competitors.

Examples

"Er überholte den langsamen Traktor auf der Bundesstraße."

Natural Translation

He overtook the slow tractor on the federal road.

Literal Translation

He overtook the slow tractor on the federal-road.

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