ran

variants also chiefly dialectal run
Definition of rannext
past tense of run
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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

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

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

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

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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 For five years running, Americans have had to live with wallet-fleecing, budget-busting, paycheck-eating inflation – including a painful stretch where the pace of price hikes hit a 40-year high. Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 25 July 2026 The agency has also sent staff to Anson County to help run the elections office while the county searches for new leadership. Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 25 July 2026 Kraus joined Sundance Square in 2021 to run the security division and has since expanded into strategic operations. Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 July 2026 Donnell Thompson, 60 Barber in Miami Gardens Donnell Thompson remembers when Miami Gardens was referred to as Carol City and when the stretch of 27th Avenue outside his barbershop was just two lanes running north and south. Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 25 July 2026 Osborne has run unsuccessfully for the Missouri House of Representatives three times. Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 25 July 2026 Jackson previously ran Maine operations for Sanders' 2016 presidential bid. ABC News, 25 July 2026 Unlike closed systems, open-weight models allow developers to download model weights, inspect them, and run them on their own hardware. Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 24 July 2026 Pinson ran a highly successful port-o-potty rental company for street festivals, outdoor concerts, some kind of steeplechase up around the state line in North Carolina. Literary Hub, 24 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ran
Verb
  • Ohtani trotted home on his bad knee – which will prevent him from pitching indefinitely but not hitting – when Freddie Freeman dumped a two-out, two-strike RBI single into center field.
    Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 20 July 2026
  • Joe Biden famously trotted across the road shaking hands and kissing babies during Pittsburgh’s Labor Day parade in 2015.
    Salena Zito, Washington Post, 1 July 2026
Verb
  • Kelly, typically a non-demonstrative engineer, retreated to the airplane bathroom and sobbed.
    Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 20 July 2026
  • But instead of pulling back, Elmi says, the founders reinvested their own capital, applied it to operating as an essential business, and secured favorable lease terms and available talent while competitors retreated.
    Sydney Lake, Fortune, 20 July 2026
Verb
  • Since becoming commissioner in 2019, Engelbert has led the WNBA into its most successful era.
    Annie Costabile, New York Times, 24 July 2026
  • The maltreatment eventually led her to run away, later re-entering foster care.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 24 July 2026
Verb
  • That pressure has ranged from sanctions against members of the White House press corps to regulatory actions through the Federal Communications Commission to outright lawsuits.
    Jocelyn Noveck, Fortune, 25 July 2026
  • Its robotics exhibits ranged from humanoids that could walk, run and manipulate objects to quadrupeds and mobile rovers built for difficult terrain.
    Bernard Marr, Forbes.com, 24 July 2026
Verb
  • Iran has also created a new pressure point to use against adversaries by blockading the Strait of Hormuz, the vital waterway through which a fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas flowed before the war.
    Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2026
  • Urban runoff filled with a noxious brew of fertilizers, stormwater and sewage has flowed into the Seminole County lake from as far as Orlando, Winter Park and Altamonte Springs for decades.
    Martin E. Comas, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 July 2026
Verb
  • Huffy, a brand once dismissed by some but historically durable and even Olympic-raced, has successfully reinvented itself in the e-bike market.
    William Roberson, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
  • Right fielder Wilyer Abreu raced home, tying the game at 4-4.
    Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 21 July 2026
Verb
  • Wall Street has since leaned more toward a potential rate increase, which the central bank can use to help cool inflation.
    ABC News, ABC News, 24 July 2026
  • In another photo, the actress leaned into the camera and gazed off into the water.
    Meg Walters, InStyle, 24 July 2026
Verb
  • But the Seoul High Court ruled that the shares should be valued at the date that the appellate court concluded its hearing in 2024, before AI drove prices up fivefold.
    Stephanie Yang, CNN Money, 24 July 2026
  • Garcia drove into Elk Grove, where he was chased by multiple law enforcement patrol cars and helicopters, according to the DA’s Office.
    Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 23 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Ran.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ran. Accessed 27 Jul. 2026.

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