overran

verb

past tense of overrun
1
as in invaded
to enter for conquest or plunder waves of barbarians overran the Roman Empire during its long decline

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of overran During takeoff, the plane overran the runway and burst into flames. — Gillian Telling, PEOPLE, 13 Aug. 2026 So far, five people have died after being buried in mudslides that overran two houses in the central region, while three others were wounded and two people have gone missing, said Pradeep Kodippili, the center's spokesperson. — ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026 As cattle overran the country, native plants were grazed out and European grasses, long adapted to the grinding teeth of livestock, took their place. — Literary Hub, 29 July 2026 Uvalde residents isolated by floodwaters Floodwaters also overran the city of Uvalde overnight, cutting off most outside routes. — Jesse Bedayn, Chicago Tribune, 16 July 2026 Uvalde residents isolated by floodwaters Floodwaters overran the city of Uvalde overnight, cutting off outside access. — Jesse Bedayn, Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2026 Los Angeles Dodgers left fielder Teoscar Hernández overran the ricochet. — Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 15 May 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overran
  1. invaded
  2. exceeded
  3. infested
  4. raided
  5. surpassed
  6. plagued
  7. overwhelmed
Verb
  • Abdullatif had a message to those who invaded his family's privacy and livelihoods.
    — Lesley Marin, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The verdict against Lev Shlosberg, a senior member of the Yabloko party, was another step by the Kremlin to stifle dissent since Russia invaded its neighbor in February 2022.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of invaded
Verb
  • On his 2017 tax return, Krneta reported $321,000 in net income, even though his total income, which included about $4,000 derived from criminal activity, exceeded $400,000, the plea stated.
    — Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Soil samples from the two elementary school campuses, City Terrace and Christopher Dena, exceeded the applicable regulatory screening levels of lead, which were flagged for further evaluation.
    — Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of exceeded
Verb
  • Native to southeast Asia, the beetle has infested every continent bar Antarctica, according to a study published in the Journal of Pest Science in June, stowing away in wood products, live plants and packaging materials.
    — Jack Bantock, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Authorities are investigating after human remains at a Chicago funeral home were allegedly found decaying in an unrefrigerated area infested with rodents.
    — Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of infested
Verb
  • One day, Khalil’s aunt was working at a nonprofit; the next, the office was raided and his aunt was sent to prison without explanation.
    — Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Later, law enforcement raided the mayor's home, and the Allegheny County Police Department took over the investigation because of a conflict of interest.
    — Jennifer Borrasso, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of raided
Verb
  • The average two-bedroom rent in the city has now surpassed New York City, traditionally the nation’s most expensive city for rents.
    — Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 17 Aug. 2026
  • The government has spent nearly all of its full-year allocation for fuel subsidies already, after oil prices surpassed the $85 benchmark that the estimate was based on.
    — Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of surpassed
Verb
  • Committee delays The county formed a committee, the Advisory Meeting on Public School Capacity, that was supposed to figure out how to fix the problem, but it's been plagued by delays filling its seats and only met for the first time last month.
    — Mike Hellgren, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • His stint with the Bills was plagued by injuries and a Dallas domestic violence case that led to a four-game suspension.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of plagued
Verb
  • The deluge stranded thousands at Soga Station and Narita Airport during Japan’s busy Bon holiday week, exposing sewer systems overwhelmed by rapid urbanization and prompting emergency evacuations and shelters across Chiba.
    — Mari Yamaguchi, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Despite this multi-layered surveillance system, Tuesday’s massive influx overwhelmed the filtration hardware, forcing operators to bring the reactors offline once again to safeguard the facilities.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of overwhelmed

Browse Nearby Words

overqualified
overran
overrate
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Cite this Entry

“Overran.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overran. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of overran for Spanish Speakers

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