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 Foreign jihadists and remnants of Saddam’s Baath Party formed the Islamic State, also known as ISIS, and overran much of Iraq and Syria in 2014 and 2015. — S. C. M. Paine, Foreign Affairs, 3 Nov. 2026 The extreme rainfall overran the town’s drainage and transformed Nederland into an island. — Zachary Handlos, The Conversation, 12 Oct. 2026 Five people were killed when the Boeing 767, operated by all-cargo carrier 21Air, overran the runway at Miami International Airport on September 6, striking multiple vehicles, catching fire and sending a thick black plume of smoke into the air. — Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026 The Houthis have a long-running animus against the Saudis, which began in 2015, months after the Houthis overran the Yemeni capital of Sanaa in 2014. — Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2026 In England, Dominic Calvert-Lewin was the star as Leeds overran a flimsy Newcastle side. — ABC News, 14 Sep. 2026 The suit alleges the pilots of the aircraft continued an unstable approach in tailwind conditions, landed too far down the runway, and failed to initiate a go-around before the aircraft overran the runway. — Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026 Related Stories The 32-year-old Boeing 767 jet overran the runway by roughly 1,300 feet, touching down awkwardly. — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 10 Sep. 2026 Yaraisi Santiso Morejon, whose husband was killed when an Amazon cargo plane overran a runway at Miami International Airport, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Amazon, the plane's operators and the two pilots. — Anna McAllister, CBS News, 9 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overran
  1. invaded
  2. exceeded
  3. infested
  4. raided
  5. surpassed
  6. plagued
  7. overwhelmed
Verb
  • Set in an alternative, sci-fi version of late-Edo-period Tokyo, the Earth has been invaded by the Amanto, an alien species, and three friends set off on a personal mission.
    — John Bleasdale, Variety, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Lavrov has traveled only infrequently to NATO member states since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 and severe sanctions were imposed on Moscow.
    — Matthew Lee, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of invaded
Verb
  • The transfer from Penn State hit 7-of-10 3-point attempts to highlight a scoring performance only three Florida players have exceeded.
    — Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Nov. 2026
  • According to local media reports, Pane’s annual gross merchandise volume on Tmall exceeded 100 million renminbi in 2025, and the brand expects to have 10 stores across six cities in mainland China, including Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen.
    — Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of exceeded
Verb
  • Sidewalks, footbridges, crosswalks, parks, esplanades, car-free plazas — just about every public space where pedestrians should feel at ease has been infested by a chaotic swarm of vehicles, both electrified and not.
    — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 5 Nov. 2026
  • The physical conditions are so bad that cells are infested with mold and vermin, the letter said.
    — Jessica Ryan, AJC.com, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of infested
Verb
  • Known as The Max, the facility was at the center of a bribery scheme that led to the conviction of the former mayor of neighboring McCook, whose office was raided the same day as Getty’s.
    — Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 4 Nov. 2026
  • An amateur historian has stumbled upon a provocative clue to the enduring mystery of what became of a notorious pirate who raided a royal Indian treasure ship centuries ago, implicating a co-conspirator whose name is familiar to many New Yorkers.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of raided
Verb
  • Coastal flooding damaged 114 homes and other structures last month as tides surpassed 8 feet, officials said at the meeting.
    — Claire Wang, Oc Register, 7 Nov. 2026
  • But that didn’t lead to consistent scoring, as the team has surpassed 17 points in a game just once this season.
    — Joaquin Ruiz, Los Angeles Times, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of surpassed
Verb
  • Leo's packed three-day itinerary in Uruguay includes a visit to a neighborhood plagued by gang violence, a Mass in Paysandú, around 230 miles from the capital, and another Mass in the city of Florida, about 60 miles from Montevideo.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Nov. 2026
  • The Cybertruck was plagued from the get-go – from promises of its release in the late 2010s to its eventual rollout in 2023.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of plagued
Verb
  • The awkward silence overwhelmed everyone until the major stepped in front of Helen.
    — Ron Farina, Hartford Courant, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Their campaigns emerged in the aftermath of Covid-19, when doctors and health officials were celebrated at first, overwhelmed by work and tragedy for years, and in some cases, targeted because of distrust or politics around their messages.
    — Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 1 Nov. 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 9 Nov. 2026.

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