1
as in invaded
to enter for conquest or plunder
waves of barbarians overran the Roman Empire during its long decline
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in exceeded
to go beyond the limit of
he must not overrun his authority as governor
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in infested
to spread or swarm over in a troublesome manner
ants are overrunning the garden
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of overran
Jung Hoo Lee, who’s still learning Oracle Park’s right field, overran Paul Goldschmidt’s base hit down the right-field line that caromed off the short, angled side wall in foul territory, allowing a single to become a double.
—
Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2026
But Nazi forces soon overran much of the continent, and by the end of World War II, at least 254 of the ship’s passengers had died in the Holocaust.
—Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Mar. 2026
The decision closed a flashpoint case that has bitterly divided Israel since the soldiers were arrested in 2024 at the notorious Sde Teiman military prison, prompting anger from members of the far-right government and hard-line ultranationalists who violently overran the prison in protest.
—Julia Frankel The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 13 Mar. 2026
The arrest of the soldiers prompted fury from hard-line ultranationalists who violently overran the prison in protest.
—Julia Frankel, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2026
That happened shortly after a militia overran a military garrison near the Ethiopian border.
—ABC News, 6 Mar. 2026
But word got out and large crowds of people overran the land and destroyed nearly everything Sutter had.
—Kurt Snibbe, Oc Register, 24 Jan. 2026
Sadat was forced to flee the Afghan capital with her family in 2021 after Taliban forces overran the city.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 16 Jan. 2026
The situation in el-Fasher was dire even before the RSF overran it this week.
—NPR, 30 Oct. 2025
Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2026
But Nazi forces soon overran much of the continent, and by the end of World War II, at least 254 of the ship’s passengers had died in the Holocaust.
—Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Mar. 2026
The decision closed a flashpoint case that has bitterly divided Israel since the soldiers were arrested in 2024 at the notorious Sde Teiman military prison, prompting anger from members of the far-right government and hard-line ultranationalists who violently overran the prison in protest.
—Julia Frankel The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 13 Mar. 2026
The arrest of the soldiers prompted fury from hard-line ultranationalists who violently overran the prison in protest.
—Julia Frankel, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2026
That happened shortly after a militia overran a military garrison near the Ethiopian border.
—ABC News, 6 Mar. 2026
But word got out and large crowds of people overran the land and destroyed nearly everything Sutter had.
—Kurt Snibbe, Oc Register, 24 Jan. 2026
Sadat was forced to flee the Afghan capital with her family in 2021 after Taliban forces overran the city.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 16 Jan. 2026
The situation in el-Fasher was dire even before the RSF overran it this week.
—NPR, 30 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overran
Verb
-
Israel then launched a new offensive against Hezbollah, and invaded much of southern Lebanon.—
Brian Dakss,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026
-
While Russia invaded Ukraine four years ago with superior numbers, that advantage has since been neutralized by Western aid and the emergence of new drones, which now account for the vast majority of casualties.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Released in July 2001, Legally Blonde quickly exceeded expectations, becoming both a box office hit and a cultural touchstone.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Their share of total cathode output consistently exceeded 70% through late 2025 and into the new year, marking a structural shift in manufacturing priorities.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Last year, the state’s Department of Food and Agriculture cut down 30% of the nursery’s citrus trees on concerns they were infested with Asian citrus psyllid, a sap-sucking bug that transmits a devastating citrus disease.—
Pat Maio,
Oc Register,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Caution arose due to props falling on crew members, as well as black mold that infested a shooting location, Deadline reported.—
Bailey Richards,
PEOPLE,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The company had its offices raided and several bank accounts frozen, according to Malaysian business publication The Edge.—
Angelica Ang,
Fortune,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Separately, police in Moscow raided the offices of the prominent independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta, whose chief editor Dmitry Muratov was a Nobel Peace Prize laureate in 2021.—
Dasha Litvinova,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
This rise in fatalities coincides with a record-high detention population, which recently surpassed 70,000 people in federal immigration custody.—
Armando Garcia,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026
-
The season finale audience was up 30% from the previous week and surpassed the Season 1 finale in 2019, which earned 530,000 viewers.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
East Harlem has long been plagued by affordability issues.—
Andrew Ramos,
CBS News,
13 Apr. 2026
-
But the Cubs’ offensive woes plagued them more than a misthrow from their reliever.—
Andy Martinez,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Poland says it's been overwhelmed by the influx and argues that the migrants were sent by Russia and its ally Belarus to destabilize Poland and other Western countries.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Apr. 2026
-
The flood of reports sent to the DOJ after her solicitation overwhelmed the few remaining attorneys, who were forced to rush to meet a legal deadline requiring the division to examine all such submissions within 10 days of their filing.—
Quinta Jurecic,
The Atlantic,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overran.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overran. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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