overruns

verb

present tense third-person singular of overrun
1
as in invades
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 exceeds
to go beyond the limit of he must not overrun his authority as governor

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in plagues
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 overruns After Jamie Gittens overruns the ball, Jorrel Hato picks up the pieces and reworks the move out wide to Cole Palmer. — Mark Carey, New York Times, 5 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overruns
  1. invades
  2. exceeds
  3. plagues
  4. raids
  5. surpasses
  6. infests
  7. ravages
  8. overwhelms
Verb
  • After their final payment to an agency in Sofia, fronted by a foreboding redhead equipped with a mechanical smile and a calculator, Russia invades Ukraine.
    — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 14 July 2026
  • Evil Dead Burn follows a family whose lives are torn apart after a demonic spirit invades their home in the wake of a death.
    — Nigel Smith, PEOPLE, 7 July 2026
Definition of invades
Verb
  • The carriers are generally liable for any goods lost up to a certain dollar amount; the customer typically buys insurance for any value that exceeds that threshold.
    — Kiel Porter, Fortune, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Why Context Exceeds Character Five patterns reveal why context often exceeds character in the character/context ratio.
    — Mary Crossan, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of exceeds
Verb
  • Too often, this means taxpayer dollars are fueling the very gun violence that plagues neighborhoods and communities nationwide.
    — Kris Brown, Chicago Tribune, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Odd moment plagues fourth quarter As the Knicks held on to their fairly sizable lead, a fan ran onto the court, tried to take a selfie with Wembanyama but was quickly apprehended by security.
    — Jacob Lev, CNN Money, 4 June 2026
Definition of plagues
Verb
  • In the character's final scene, as the DEA raids her rural compound, Laurie ties a rope around her neck and jumps from the roof of her home.
    — Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 1 June 2026
  • In the meantime, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) finally raids Laurie's property, thanks to the intel Rue had been giving them.
    — Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 1 June 2026
Definition of raids
Verb
  • This pivot is significantly reshaping the company's revenue profile, as its cloud business already surpasses $214 billion annually.
    — Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
  • That surpasses the count of cases in all of 2025 — 2,289 — which was fueled by a fatal outbreak in Texas where two children died.
    — Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of surpasses
Verb
  • That essence is slimy, stinky and unrelenting, as reflected in the mass of algae that infests the reflecting pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial.
    — Maureen Dowd, Mercury News, 23 June 2026
  • The Lifeform spawns from a black, bacterial mold that infests the yellow wallpaper and moist carpets.
    — Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
Definition of infests
Verb
  • And now, as Ebola ravages the Congo, advocates say that this is exactly the sort of outbreak that money and coordination was intended to contain.
    — Adam Harris, The Atlantic, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Wildfire ravages Simi Valley as evacuations are underway.
    — Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 20 May 2026
Definition of ravages
Verb
  • And yet, in Yoon’s hands, a character’s suffering never overwhelms their capacity for tenderness.
    — Rachel Vorona Cote, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026
  • One person has died and rescues are underway as catastrophic flooding overwhelms the Hill Country, a little more than a year after the July 4 floods killed more than 130 people in Central Texas.
    — Mary Ella Hastings July 16, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 July 2026
Definition of overwhelms

Browse Nearby Words

overrunning
overruns
oversaw
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Overruns.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overruns. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on overruns

Nglish: Translation of overruns for Spanish Speakers

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