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 travelled
to proceed or move quickly
run and get the nurse
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
8
9
10
as in turned
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 powered
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.
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Recent Examples of ran
The video, released Thursday night, showed a person running across a rooftop of the building from which the fatal round was fired before climbing down and dropping to the ground.
—
Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 13 Sep. 2025
Pittman noted the Rebels didn’t run their offense at their standard lightning pace for much of the game and did a lot of looks to the sidelines for late play adjustments.
—Tom Murphy, Arkansas Online, 12 Sep. 2025
Rose is giving up the House seat in the 2026 election cycle to run for Tennessee governor.
—David Mark, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
In Animal Crossing, Tom Nook runs the town shop and provides home loans (paid out in bells, the in-game currency) that keep players perpetually in debt, which is a core mechanic of the game.
—ArsTechnica, 12 Sep. 2025
Hand, a Republican who's also running for judge executive, offered prayers to Kirk and his family.
—Jolene Almendarez, The Enquirer, 12 Sep. 2025
Maksim’s brother, Val Chmerkovskiy, and his wife, Jenna Johnson, are both long-running DWTS pros and winners, and will appear on the upcoming 34th season.
—Mckinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 12 Sep. 2025
In other good competition news, Molly Odintz’s old high school pal Jimmy Talarico is running for Texas Senate, on a workers’ rights platform.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 12 Sep. 2025
This is the new 'disruptor' culture seen in the tech industry where people want to just run fast and break things.
—Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025
Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 13 Sep. 2025
Pittman noted the Rebels didn’t run their offense at their standard lightning pace for much of the game and did a lot of looks to the sidelines for late play adjustments.
—Tom Murphy, Arkansas Online, 12 Sep. 2025
Rose is giving up the House seat in the 2026 election cycle to run for Tennessee governor.
—David Mark, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
In Animal Crossing, Tom Nook runs the town shop and provides home loans (paid out in bells, the in-game currency) that keep players perpetually in debt, which is a core mechanic of the game.
—ArsTechnica, 12 Sep. 2025
Hand, a Republican who's also running for judge executive, offered prayers to Kirk and his family.
—Jolene Almendarez, The Enquirer, 12 Sep. 2025
Maksim’s brother, Val Chmerkovskiy, and his wife, Jenna Johnson, are both long-running DWTS pros and winners, and will appear on the upcoming 34th season.
—Mckinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 12 Sep. 2025
In other good competition news, Molly Odintz’s old high school pal Jimmy Talarico is running for Texas Senate, on a workers’ rights platform.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 12 Sep. 2025
This is the new 'disruptor' culture seen in the tech industry where people want to just run fast and break things.
—Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ran
Verb
-
The wild-eyed elk turned and trotted parallel to me.—
Jack Atcheson Sr. as told to Michael Hanback,
Outdoor Life,
11 Sep. 2025
-
The final segment, reserved for special teams, gave much of the roster a breather, helmets off and tucked in hands, but then a 35-year-old tight end trotted to an empty neighboring field.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
One deputy retreated while two of them fired their guns, hitting Williams and Lane, authorities said.—
Olivia Lloyd,
Miami Herald,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Each apartment was different from the next, and the vacant unit (one daughter retreated to a Greek island) had views of the sea.—
Keith Flanagan,
Architectural Digest,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Jefferson-Wooden went into these championships as a strong favorite to secure the victory.—
Katelyn Hutchison,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
-
This year, Tillman went head-to-head with another Severance star Zach Cherry.—
Olivia B. Waxman,
Time,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Afternoon relative humidity ranged from the 30s to mid-50s.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
14 Sep. 2025
-
Ransom demands ranged from $75,000 to over $500,000.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Once that issue was sorted out, my bladder finally relaxed — and the urine flowed just fine.—
Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt,
CNN Money,
15 Sep. 2025
-
At its core was Vitinha, his elegant playmaking at the base of midfield the classy conduit through which their intricate moves flowed.—
Conor O'Neill,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Southern and Western states tended to see the biggest increase in working hours, while parts of the Northeast and Midwest showed slower growth or even decreases.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Cahall stressed that entertainment studios have tended to consolidate over time and that is likely to continue.—
Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The request also came on the same day a man drove a car into the gates of an FBI building in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.—
Washington Examiner Staff,
The Washington Examiner,
18 Sep. 2025
-
Friends drove him home and tended to him during the episode, which caused Ronson to contemplate his burgeoning addiction.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
What sets Leviyev apart from her competitors is the fact that each treatment is handled with utmost compassion, precision, and a belief that external beauty is a result of harmony between internal bodily functions.—
Jason Phillips,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Hikaru Kondo, the movie’s general director, wrote the lyrics and the composition and arrangement were handled by the composers of the film’s soundtrack — the former by Go Shiina, the latter by Shiina and Sachiko Miyano.—
Billboard Japan,
Billboard,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ran.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ran. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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