OVERRUNS Synonyms: 88 Similar and Opposite Words

overruns

verb

present tense third-person singular of overrun

as in invades

to enter for conquest or plunder waves of barbarians overran the Roman Empire during its long decline

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in exceeds

to go beyond the limit of he must not overrun his authority as governor

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Verb

Damage is often concentrated in the lower areas of the plant, as Verticillium invades hosts from their base, working upwards.

— Emily Leahy, Hartford Courant, 7 Sep. 2026
Cover the Soil Like other weeds, ragweed is opportunistic and quickly invades areas of bare soil.

— Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of invades

Verb

What plagues America right now, in Cox’s telling, is not bad manners, or even political division, but contempt—the conviction that those who don’t share our opinions or values are beneath us and unworthy of good-faith engagement.

— McKay Coppins, The Atlantic, 27 Aug. 2026
Yet the monopolisation that plagues other top tiers, while not as stark in England, is creeping in.

— Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 21 Aug. 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

That surpasses the £244m exchanged between Chelsea and Manchester United, which had previously occupied top spot.

— Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
That put a pause on higher tariffs, which are triggered when trade volume surpasses a certain quota, according to the World Trade Organization.

— Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 7 Sep. 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 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

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Style

“Overruns.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overruns. Accessed 17 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of overruns

verb

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