Leapfrog

v.hopeful, capableprofessional

What it means

To move ahead rapidly by bypassing an intermediate position or stage.

Reach for it when describing a genuine jump in capability rather than ordinary incremental progress

Community broadband could help rural clinics leapfrog unreliable paper referrals.

playful
skip a generation
a technology replaces an older stage entirely
not when It applies to generational technology shifts, not one rival passing another.
everyday
overtake
one participant moves ahead of another
not when Overtake preserves the same path and does not imply skipping a stage.
warm
vault ahead
a sudden energetic gain deserves vivid language
not when Vault ahead is figurative and offers no detail about the method.
professional
accelerate
the same course proceeds at a faster rate
not when Acceleration still passes through the intervening stages.
professional
bypass
an obstacle or obsolete step is deliberately avoided
not when Bypass identifies what is skipped but not the resulting advance.
formal
outstrip
performance grows beyond a comparison point
not when Outstrip expresses superiority without the shortcut or stage-skipping idea.
formal
surpass
the final standard or rival is exceeded
not when Surpass says nothing about speed or how the gap was crossed.

leapfrog competitors
Reliable service helped the small workshop leapfrog competitors using slower equipment.
leapfrog a stage
The modular course lets experienced learners leapfrog a stage they have already mastered.
leapfrog ahead
Open standards allowed the region to leapfrog ahead without replacing every device.

The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.