ran

variants also chiefly dialectal run
Definition of rannext
past tense of run
1
2
3
as in led
to be positioned along a certain course or in a certain direction the road runs along the river for a while

Synonyms & Similar Words

4
as in ranged
to occur within a continuous range of variation the electric bill runs between 30 and 50 dollars a month

Synonyms & Similar Words

5
6
7
as in leaned
to show a liking or proneness (for something) unfortunately, members of his family run to fatness

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

8
as in drove
to urge, push, or force onward they ran the horses hard in order to get to the ranch quickly

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9
as in operated
to control the mechanical operation of I know how to run that machine

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10
as in became
to eventually have as a state or quality the poor woman ran herself ragged trying to care for all those children

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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as in cost
to have a price of that sort of computer runs at least several hundred dollars

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16

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 ran Hyperscalers will spend $800 billion this year on chips, data centers, and the power to run them, propping up GDP growth. — Ming Lu, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026 At the racetrack, the horses ran, and Crawford hosted members at the Ruidoso Jockey Club, where private tables cost as much as six figures. — Abe Streep, ProPublica, 21 Oct. 2026 Pangram ran an internal study using a database of non-native English texts and self-reported that false positive rate was around 8 in 10,000. — T.m. Brown, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2026 As of Wednesday, nearly 55 million web properties were running PHP, according to Censys, a company that specializes in scanning internet infrastructure. — Kevin Collier, NBC news, 21 Oct. 2026 Other streamers are supposed to run only age-appropriate ads, but some parents have reported scary or mature ads popping up on kids’ stuff. — Emily Palmer Heller, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2026 She was hired to do the promotional photography and run social media for the show, and soon enough, the two were renovating a home of their own. — Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026 Alaska’s current governor, Republican Mike Dunleavy, is prohibited from running again because of term limits. — Chantelle Lee, Time, 21 Oct. 2026 Disney+ and Hulu have ordered a revival of the high school musical, which ran from 2009-15 on Fox. — Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 21 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ran
Verb
  • Just after the sun melted into the sea a deer trotted by, followed by its more nervous baby.
    — David G. Allan, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2026
  • In the 10th, automatic runner Joey Ortiz advanced on a bunt and trotted home when Frelick bounced a single to right field off Grant Wolfram (6-4).
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Officers retreated and called for backup, but officials said the suspect fired shots at police.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Once promoted by her husband as a possible successor in the Governor’s Mansion, Casey DeSantis has since largely retreated from public view.
    — Christopher Spata, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • In April this year, a European consortium led by Belgian telecommunications company Proximus won one of four contracts together worth up to €180 million under the Commission’s sovereign cloud procurement programme.
    — Margot Edelman, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
  • As Comcast, led by Brian Roberts and Michael Cavanagh, reported its third-quarter financials, Peacock posted a pre-tax profit of $261 million, which followed a $189 million profit in the most recent second quarter and a $217 million year-ago loss.
    — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 22 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Clippers' opening-night ticket prices on Ticketmaster for Wednesday ranged from $51 for standard-admission terrace-level seats to $163 for lower-level center-court club seats on the secondary market.
    — Chantz Martin OutKick, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Projects have ranged anywhere from disaster relief and the environment, to medical care and education.
    — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • For Iran, the technology that originally flowed to Russia is now returning, along with tactical advice drawn from Russia’s experience in Ukraine.
    — Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Foreign Affairs, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Inflation dropped sharply, deposits flowed back into the banking system, and the economy switched from negative to positive growth with a surge in exports leading the way.
    — Steve H. Hanke, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Quarterback Cale Hellums ran for 195 yards and five touchdowns and Army raced past Florida Atlantic 56-24 on Saturday.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The Jayhawks, who raced to an early 17-7 lead and held a six-point lead in the third quarter, ultimately dropped a 35-24 decision to the Wildcats on Saturday at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
    — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 17 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Where Iran ads are most prevalent While the Iran war ads made up about 5% of the total TV spots aired across the competitive races, some contests leaned into the topic heavily.
    — Kevin Freking, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026
  • While the Iran war ads made up about 5% of the total TV spots aired across the competitive races, some contests leaned into the topic heavily.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The homeowner didn’t charge him rent, and the truck Buchanan drove was a gift, the woman told agents.
    — Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • An Australian data center operator’s profit warning drove its stock down as much as 44%, while dozens of large facilities have been blocked or delayed in the US this year by opposition from locals.
    — Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 22 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Ran.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ran. Accessed 23 Oct. 2026.

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