1
as in invading
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 exceeding
to go beyond the limit of
he must not overrun his authority as governor
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in infesting
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 overrunning
Homeless people overrunning the city.
—
Deputy Managing Editor, Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2026
The most basic natural method for keeping weeds from overrunning your pavers is manual removal.
—David Beaulieu, The Spruce, 16 May 2026
Gardening apps can drain a phone battery lightning-fast, like aphids overrunning your tomatoes.
—Jamie Siebrase, Denver Post, 8 May 2026
Then in 2021, the federal government, which manages polar bears, halted boat tours, mostly over concerns about how tourists were affecting bear behavior and overrunning the town.
—ABC News, 23 Apr. 2026
In the fifth, Byron Buxton hit a double and was tagged out after overrunning the base.
—Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 29 Mar. 2026
His issues overrunning plays feel like ages ago.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 20 Jan. 2026
Russian forces seized the nuclear plant and its surrounding area in the early days of Moscow’s full-scale invasion, overrunning the plant in February 2022 and holding staff hostage.
—Kara Fox, CNN Money, 6 Dec. 2025
But using smaller rocks will not secure river banks from overrunning, said attorney Devon Lehman McCune during a hearing earlier this month in downtown federal court.
—Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 21 Nov. 2025
Deputy Managing Editor, Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2026
The most basic natural method for keeping weeds from overrunning your pavers is manual removal.
—David Beaulieu, The Spruce, 16 May 2026
Gardening apps can drain a phone battery lightning-fast, like aphids overrunning your tomatoes.
—Jamie Siebrase, Denver Post, 8 May 2026
Then in 2021, the federal government, which manages polar bears, halted boat tours, mostly over concerns about how tourists were affecting bear behavior and overrunning the town.
—ABC News, 23 Apr. 2026
In the fifth, Byron Buxton hit a double and was tagged out after overrunning the base.
—Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 29 Mar. 2026
His issues overrunning plays feel like ages ago.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 20 Jan. 2026
Russian forces seized the nuclear plant and its surrounding area in the early days of Moscow’s full-scale invasion, overrunning the plant in February 2022 and holding staff hostage.
—Kara Fox, CNN Money, 6 Dec. 2025
But using smaller rocks will not secure river banks from overrunning, said attorney Devon Lehman McCune during a hearing earlier this month in downtown federal court.
—Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 21 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overrunning
Verb
-
In addition to topical repellents, there are also some effective products that can deter pests from invading your campsite or outdoor dinner party.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
3 June 2026
-
By one account, Lechuga explains, Wells said his depiction of Martians invading Victorian England was inspired by European colonization of the Aboriginal Tasmanians; by another, the author billed it as a warning about the need to strengthen England’s military capabilities.—
Harmeet Kaur,
CNN Money,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
In recent weeks, the race for Los Angeles mayor has been dominated by reality star Spencer Pratt, who, following an expectation-exceeding debate performance, has risen in the polls with an insurgent campaign specializing in producing or promoting brash and direct online videos.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
2 June 2026
-
The team collected data on speeds of drivers for one week in September 2021 and found 44% of the more than 100,000 vehicles that drove the corridor in the week were exceeding the 30 mph posted speed limit.—
Angie DiMichele,
Sun Sentinel,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
The moths infesting a pantry are not the same as moths hiding in your closet.—
Lauren Wicks,
Southern Living,
13 May 2026
-
No one wants mice moving into their home or infesting their garden.—
Michelle Mastro,
Martha Stewart,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
Even rural birds manage to find some human items, most likely by raiding farm bins or garages.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
2 June 2026
-
At 13-years-old, Blue Ivy Carter is already raiding one of the best closets in the game.—
Alex Apatoff,
PEOPLE,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
Freeland, 33, had just pitched 1,313 1/3 major league innings, all in a Rockies uniform, surpassing Aaron Cook (1,312 1/3) for the franchise record.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
8 June 2026
-
Since then, the number of visitors to Huangshan — known as the most marvelous mountain in China — has only grown, surpassing 5 million for the first time last year.—
Jennifer Jett,
NBC news,
7 June 2026
Verb
-
She is backed by the local Democratic Socialists of America, and her challengers claim the district has suffered under under her leadership, pointing to MacArthur Park as emblematic of the homelessness and drug addiction crisis plaguing the city.—
Melissa Gomez,
Los Angeles Times,
24 May 2026
-
The title of his third album, REDSTAR WU & THE WORLDWIDE SCOURGE, suggests an MCU movie in which our hero attempts to take on every problem plaguing the planet—and this time, Owusu isn’t giving his adversaries code names.—
Stuart Berman,
Pitchfork,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
The Thursday night group was seen leaving about three hours afterward, according to the NYPD, while the second odd circumstance ended after individuals were seen crawling out and leaving in a vehicle more than two and a half hours after.—
Amethyst Martinez,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
-
Toddlers and babies spend their days at floor level, crawling through dust, putting hands and objects in their mouths, and breathing air closer to the ground than anyone else.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overrunning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overrunning. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
