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
-
Relations with Angola soon soured and then worsened when Angola’s governor briefly invaded southern Kongo in 1622.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Israel has invaded Lebanon as the war in Iran expands in the region.—
Greg Dixon,
NPR,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Hornets have experienced 23 sellouts this season, establishing a new mark in the uptown arena, and exceeded an average of 18,000 fans per game.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Apr. 2026
-
On a night where Clay Holmes was dominant, tossing seven scoreless innings with four strikeouts, Roupp exceeded his minuscule margin of error.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Deadline also understands that the production required a location change after crew pushed back on the use of a space that was infested with black mold.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Anyone who believes they may be infested with screwworm should contact their health provider.—
Rachael O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The couple had four eggs this season, but two were destroyed when their nest was raided by ravens.—
Dean Fioresi,
CBS News,
4 Apr. 2026
-
After the service at Kheimeh Molaghat, over coffee and sweets in the church fellowship hall, Bahraman recounted how armed Iranian forces raided the home of his parents about 15 years ago, because their family had converted to Christianity.—
Angie Leventis Lourgos,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Lowes Foods with four stores surpassed both specialty grocers Fresh Market, with five stores, and Earth Fare, which closed one store and has two left in the region.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
2 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,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Whereas Phoebe lacks inhibitions, Valerie is plagued by them, and the contrasting sitcom formats of Friends (multi-cam) and The Comeback (mockumentary) call for totally different performance styles.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Lack of depth also plagued — a contrast from last year, when the four-line threat was huge.—
Greg Cote
April 6,
Miami Herald,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
New York's offense overwhelmed the Bulls by outscoring them 40-25 in the second quarter to lead 78-41 at the break.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
-
This year’s Final Four at the women’s NCAA Tournament features a quartet of powerhouse programs, teams that have overwhelmed almost all their opponents with superior talent and veteran coaching.—
David Brandt,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overran.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overran. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.
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