variants
also chiefly dialectal run
1
as in trotted
to go at a pace faster than a walk
we ran all the way to the bus stop, but still missed the bus
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in retreated
to hasten away from something dangerous or frightening
rather than run from a black bear, it's better to hold your ground and make lots of noise
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
4
5
as in flowed
to move in a stream
water running down the window
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in raced
to proceed or move quickly
run and get the nurse
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
8
9
as in operated
to control the mechanical operation of
I know how to run that machine
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
11
as in melted
to go from a solid to a liquid state
her makeup started to run when she got in the pool
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
12
as in managed
to look after and make decisions about
learning to run the family business
Synonyms & Similar Words
13
as in triggered
to cause to function
in olden days mills were run by flowing water
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
14
as in cost
to have a price of
that sort of computer runs at least several hundred dollars
Synonyms & Similar Words
15
as in traveled
to come or be together as friends
he's been running with a bad crowd lately
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
16
as in chased
to go after or on the track of
if that dog continues to run cars, he's going to get seriously hurt
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Villaraigosa, who led the city from 2005-13 and recently ran for governor, argued that this is not the right time to make even that change.
—
Melissa Gomez,
Los Angeles Times,
4 July 2026
The Dred Scott decision is said to have inspired Lincoln to speak out forcefully against slavery, run for president, and later lead the nation through a bloody Civil War.
—
ABC News,
3 July 2026
Between there, and running upstairs to supervise fittings of his monumentally sculptural work with his stylist Tallulah Harlech, the designer caught a rare moment to sit and talk.
—
Sarah Mower,
Vogue,
3 July 2026
How McHenry became interim speaker A post-9/11 rule required House speakers to keep a secret list of successors who could step up and run the chamber in the event something happened to him or her.
—
Danielle Battaglia,
Charlotte Observer,
3 July 2026
The nation has put people on the moon, helped build and operate a long-running space station in low Earth orbit (LEO) and sent fleets of robotic explorers to many corners of the solar system — and even beyond it, into interstellar space.
—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
3 July 2026
The experiments ran for three months under two disposal scenarios.
—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
3 July 2026
Jamie Foxx, myself, Al Pacino and Oliver Stone in a rehearsal room together in a house all day practicing and running lines — that’s a moment.
—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
3 July 2026
Dirk Heuvel has helped run McManis Family Vineyards in Ripon in San Joaquin County since 2008.
—
Lizzie Kane,
Sacbee.com,
3 July 2026
Melissa Gomez,
Los Angeles Times,
4 July 2026
The Dred Scott decision is said to have inspired Lincoln to speak out forcefully against slavery, run for president, and later lead the nation through a bloody Civil War.
—
ABC News,
3 July 2026
Between there, and running upstairs to supervise fittings of his monumentally sculptural work with his stylist Tallulah Harlech, the designer caught a rare moment to sit and talk.
—
Sarah Mower,
Vogue,
3 July 2026
How McHenry became interim speaker A post-9/11 rule required House speakers to keep a secret list of successors who could step up and run the chamber in the event something happened to him or her.
—
Danielle Battaglia,
Charlotte Observer,
3 July 2026
The nation has put people on the moon, helped build and operate a long-running space station in low Earth orbit (LEO) and sent fleets of robotic explorers to many corners of the solar system — and even beyond it, into interstellar space.
—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
3 July 2026
The experiments ran for three months under two disposal scenarios.
—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
3 July 2026
Jamie Foxx, myself, Al Pacino and Oliver Stone in a rehearsal room together in a house all day practicing and running lines — that’s a moment.
—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
3 July 2026
Dirk Heuvel has helped run McManis Family Vineyards in Ripon in San Joaquin County since 2008.
—
Lizzie Kane,
Sacbee.com,
3 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.
-
About 100 yards to the right, a herd of caribou trotted past.
Verb
-
Padres left fielder Jase Bowen retreated to the ivy and made a leaping catch.
-
Armand gives a recap of the events leading up to and following the Trial of season two, saying that Lestat retreated to Magnus’s tower for the latter half of the 20th century, and never reached out to Louis to expose the truth about Armand orchestrating Claudia’s murder.
Verb
-
Wednesday's ceremony came 38 years to the day after Lefebvre was excommunicated alongside those four bishops — including Bishop Alfonso de Galarreta, who led Wednesday's consecrations and was again excommunicated Thursday.
-
Children affected by the war are also attending summer camps such as those led by OneFamily, an organization that supports victims of terrorism and war and their families.
Verb
-
Blue Jays outfielder Myles Straw threw a perfect bottom of the eighth with pitches that ranged between 38 mph and 61 mph.
-
The last time that ratio ranged so high was in the mid-2000s, at the peak of the millennial housing bubble, Pew reports.
Verb
-
Missile and drone stockpiles grew as money flowed to terrorist proxies across the Middle East.
-
Energy flowed out of my body like sweat on a blistering hot day.
Verb
-
Immigrants crowded waiting rooms and spilled into hallways as clerks raced to process around 100 people scheduled for an administrative hearing that morning.
-
The Kansas City Royals raced out to a quick lead against the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday night at Kauffman Stadium.
Verb
-
Democrats, who leaned heavily on small-dollar fundraising in recent election cycles, warned the decision would further expand the influence of megadonors and wealthy political networks in federal campaigns.
-
The festival positions itself as the major platform for German film and filmmakers, but has also leaned heavily into co-production and expanded its international output.
Verb
-
Jackson Merrill blasted a ball to left-center field leading off, and, two outs later, Jake Cronenworth drove in two runs with a shot to right-center.
-
Sure, the proliferation of plastic with lounge benefits drove more visitors to the airport lounges.
Cite this Entry
“Ran.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ran. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
