ran

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

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5
6
7
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 Beth Bourne, one of the most prominent anti-transgender activists in California, is running for the Davis Joint Unified School District Board of Education. Camryn Dadey, Sacbee.com, 18 July 2026 England went ahead of Argentina in the 55th minute of their semifinal, but Messi found another gear and set up both late goals to break England’s hearts and keep Argentina’s run alive. Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 18 July 2026 Kennedy, who was running for president as an independent at the time, even appeared on the red carpet for the show’s final season premiere in 2024. Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 18 July 2026 Hamad bin Jassim ran much of the diplomacy, Sheikha Moza built the education and cultural project, and the gas wager needed technocrats willing to bet on a market that barely existed. Güney Yıldız, Forbes.com, 18 July 2026 Fraser Millward is familiar with both venues, having left a 20-year career in London’s theater and live events industry in 2021 to join the organization that runs Aviva, Factory International, as a technician. Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 18 July 2026 James was also utilized as a facilitator and had his share of struggles running the offense smoothly. Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 18 July 2026 The second a driving Kieran Tierney run that left Dani Carvajal for dead and again found McTominay crashing into the box. Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 18 July 2026 The combat and self-defense competition series, which airs on YouTube and across social media has generated 150M views online and has run for three seasons. Peter White, Deadline, 17 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ran
Verb
  • 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
  • About 100 yards to the right, a herd of caribou trotted past.
    Dolores Brown, Outdoor Life, 17 June 2026
Verb
  • In the pandemic years, demographic experts say, under-35 adults retreated to parental homes to ride out quarantines and escape big-city crowds.
    Daniel de Visé, USA Today, 11 July 2026
  • Disposable income has since retreated to the normal upward trendline, but no matter.
    Michael Foster, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026
Verb
  • The last group is led by board president Heather Fargo, who served as mayor of Sacramento from 2000-2008.
    Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 17 July 2026
  • This association with high status, as well as a rudimentary analysis of the size of the bones, led archaeologists to conclude that the burial belonged to a man.
    Jack Guy, CNN Money, 17 July 2026
Verb
  • The conversation ranged from Nolan’s decision to make Polyphemus (the Cyclops that Matt Damon’s Odysseus stabs in the eye) nonverbal to the film’s depiction of language itself.
    Antonio Ferme, Variety, 18 July 2026
  • The SpaceX offering featured twenty-three banks, a crew that ranged from the aforementioned giants to asset managers Bernstein and Mirae of South Korea.
    Shawn Tully, Fortune, 18 July 2026
Verb
  • This let the team observe how water flowed inside, outside, and through the device.
    Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 13 July 2026
  • The lace-up breastplate, which resembled a Greek sculpture, flowed into a white and ombré grey beaded bottom.
    Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 12 July 2026
Verb
  • Norway’s elite 6-foot-5 goal scorer raced with some of the best in the battle for the Golden Boot in the tournament, given to the player with the most goals, and his performance in DFW put his name firmly on the world stage.
    Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 July 2026
  • After a poor first touch with his head, Digne was trying to clear the ball when Yamal raced in from behind to challenge in the penalty area.
    ABC News, ABC News, 14 July 2026
Verb
  • Yamal has just one goal in this tournament, a nod to an approach that has leaned into the quality of the group as much as any individual brilliance.
    Paul Tenorio, New York Times, 18 July 2026
  • Sotheby’s leaned heavily on the Robert Mnuchin Collection, the Lewis Collection and other major estates.
    Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 17 July 2026
Verb
  • Tribal members drove around in a beat-up Buick flinging matches out the window.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2026
  • Giant armored bulldozers—now Caterpillar model D9—stabbed their front blades into the ground and drove forward, flipping fields and shaving off orchards.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Ran.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ran. Accessed 20 Jul. 2026.

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