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überbrücken

to bridge (a gap), to span

verb ue-ber-BRUE-ken Rare
Travel & Places Movement

Also means

to cover (a distance or time period)

Usage Note

überbrücken literally means to build a bridge across something; in travel German it also means to cover a distance or connection gap — die Zeit bis zur Abfahrt überbrücken ('to fill the time until departure'). The figurative sense is very common.

Examples

"Wir überbrücken die Wartezeit mit einem Kaffee im Bahnhofscafé."

Natural Translation

We fill the waiting time with a coffee in the station café.

Literal Translation

We bridge the waiting-time with a coffee in the station-café.

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