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 judge also pointed to a sharp rise in concentration as measured in the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI), saying the HHI increase for Paramount/WBD exceeds the level necessary to show the merger is likely to enhance market power.
    — Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica, 20 July 2026
  • While production of the Patriot is being ramped up in the United States, demand exceeds supply.
    — Daria Tarasova-Markina, CNN Money, 19 July 2026
Definition of exceeds
Verb
  • More bureaucracy — in the form of the new stand-alone Department of Gun Violence Reduction — while well-intentioned, isn’t the panacea to what plagues our city, especially as whoever is appointed head of this new department will enjoy too much independence from the mayor.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 26 June 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
  • Historically, American women had higher rates of labor force participation than did women in most other countries, but Scandinavia now easily surpasses the United States by this metric.
    — Nicholas D. Kristof, Mercury News, 14 July 2026
  • French President Emmanuel Macron is either tied with former President François Hollande as the most unpopular French president of the past half century, or surpasses him in unpopularity, depending on the poll used.
    — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 11 July 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
  • Wildfire ravages Simi Valley as evacuations are underway.
    — Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 20 May 2026
  • Greenhouses provide protection from scourges like tomato blight, which ravages otherwise beautiful crops in areas with cool, rainy weather.
    — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Kansas City Star, 1 Apr. 2026
Definition of ravages
Verb
  • 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
  • Furniture that is too large for a room overwhelms it; ensure your furniture is appropriate for your room size and the other pieces in that room.
    — Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 11 July 2026
Definition of overwhelms

Browse Nearby Words

overrunning
overruns
oversaw
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Cite this Entry

“Overruns.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overruns. Accessed 22 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on overruns

Nglish: Translation of overruns for Spanish Speakers

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