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
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
The Jays’ leadoff hitter also reached safely against Yamamoto in the following two innings, first on an infield popup with a 100 percent catch probability that Freddie Freeman overran, then when Yamamoto drilled George Springer on the wrist.
—Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025
The Mexican Army attacked and overran the Texas defenses.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2025
In 1669, lava from one of Etna's largest eruptions overran the western suburbs of Catania.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2025
In 1741, his forces overran Tabarka, enslaving many residents and sending shockwaves throughout the western Mediterranean.
—Miquel Ros, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2025
Although the city had previously cleared Columbus Park, RVs and encampments returned and overran the public space.
—Devan Patel, Mercury News, 31 Aug. 2025
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
The Jays’ leadoff hitter also reached safely against Yamamoto in the following two innings, first on an infield popup with a 100 percent catch probability that Freddie Freeman overran, then when Yamamoto drilled George Springer on the wrist.
—Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025
The Mexican Army attacked and overran the Texas defenses.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2025
In 1669, lava from one of Etna's largest eruptions overran the western suburbs of Catania.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2025
In 1741, his forces overran Tabarka, enslaving many residents and sending shockwaves throughout the western Mediterranean.
—Miquel Ros, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2025
Although the city had previously cleared Columbus Park, RVs and encampments returned and overran the public space.
—Devan Patel, Mercury News, 31 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overran
Verb
-
Nearly four years later, Russian forces continue to grind along the front lines achieving incremental territorial gains at an extremely high cost, while Ukraine has managed to retake vast areas that Moscow initially invaded.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Pastor says protesters invaded church A Minnesota church targeted by an anti-ICE protest Sunday decried it as unlawful, while one of the protest leaders called for the resignation of a church leader who works at a local ICE office.—
Alanna Durkin Richer,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Twenty-four years later, their mission and their conduct have exceeded the worst imaginings of even their sharpest critics.—
Jonathan Blitzer,
New Yorker,
1 Feb. 2026
-
However, four players for Grand Canyon exceeded Buchanan’s point total, including three with 16 points, and senior guard Jaden Henley scored a game-high 20 — 18 of them in the second half.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The Greenland situation reminds me of a story about a bunch of South American cowboys pushing a herd toward a creek known to be infested with piranhas.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
27 Jan. 2026
-
The tiny hayloft would later become infested with lice and vermin.—
Edie Kasten,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Pakistan's security forces have raided two militant hideouts in the country's southwest, killing 41 insurgents in separate gun battles, the military said Friday.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Federal authorities raided the facility in the years following after allegations of abuse of inmates and staff grew.—
Molly Beck,
jsonline.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The initial target of $50,000 has long been surpassed, with the total now sitting at $60,000.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
-
However, Qualcomm surpassed earnings and revenue expectations for the fiscal first quarter.—
Jason Gewirtz,
CNBC,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
And the Rams were unable to overcome a special teams miscue, a theme that plagued them throughout the season.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Rodman was plagued by injury in 2025, using the first half of the year to recover from a lingering back issue.—
Melanie Anzidei,
New York Times,
25 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Ketter said the volume of traffic temporarily overwhelmed DreamHaven's website.—
Nick Lunemann,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
-
The company said the influx briefly overwhelmed its servers.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overran.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overran. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026.
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