ran

variants also chiefly dialectal run
past tense of run
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2
3
as in went
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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7
as in tended
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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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

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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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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 Some of the rolls of masking tape went faster than others, especially when Goldberg-Polin was running around the world trying to save Hersh. Romina Ruiz-Goiriena, USA Today, 4 Oct. 2025 Rents will run from $1,500 for studios to $3,400 for three-bedroom units, according to the release. Bridget Fogarty, jsonline.com, 3 Oct. 2025 That sense of nostalgia for an older generation of country music runs throughout the album. Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 3 Oct. 2025 But beneath the joy and relief of reconnecting with family runs a deep undercurrent of anger that a basic human right of connection could be easily – and abruptly – taken away. Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 3 Oct. 2025 The Hope Florida Foundation scandal consumed this year’s legislative session and has dampened prospects of Casey DeSantis running to succeed her husband in 2026. Lawrence Mower, Miami Herald, 3 Oct. 2025 Also currently running in the 2026 primary for sheriff are Richard Breen, a lawyer and former mayor of Glenview, and Stephen Yancey, a longtime sheriff's office employee who ran against Aubrey in the 2022 primary. Killian Baarlaer, Louisville Courier Journal, 3 Oct. 2025 Internally, the rollout has reignited a long-running debate inside OpenAI about how to balance safety with creative freedom. Mackenzie Sigalos, CNBC, 3 Oct. 2025 Mahoney, who co-runs the small Upper West Side rescue, couldn’t walk away. Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ran
Verb
  • Bradley then trotted up the center of the fairway, waving it to a cheering crowd.
    Hugh Kellenberger, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
  • Innings later, Jhoan Duran’s familiar intro played on the stadium scoreboard and the closer trotted in to nail down the save.
    Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 27 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Since the auto industry has retreated, Flint has been marred by poverty and violence.
    John Wisely, Freep.com, 3 Oct. 2025
  • But previous Daniel Jones models would have withered after such an ugly start and retreated to an all-checkdown menu for the rest of the game.
    J.J. Bailey, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • In their second drive against the Broncos, the Eagles went no-huddle on a season-high seven straight plays.
    Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 6 Oct. 2025
  • Olson went four innings, scattering five hits and allowed just one run.
    Ryan Ford, Freep.com, 6 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Victims ranged in age from 6 to 78.
    Georgea Kovanis, Freep.com, 5 Oct. 2025
  • With the Republican leadership, House Speaker Mike Johnsonand Senate Majority Leader John Thune, the conversation ranged across their views of the health care situation.
    Jessica Coacci, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Subtle fabric draping featured at the waist, which flowed into a column skirt.
    Julia Teti, Footwear News, 6 Oct. 2025
  • Nearly 43,000 applications flowed in after the state opened applications in May.
    Rachel Wegner, Nashville Tennessean, 3 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Females with childcare responsibilities tended to live longer than males in zoos.
    Amarachi Orie, CNN Money, 3 Oct. 2025
  • Paramedics tended to him in an ambulance for at least 10 minutes, reports ABC 7.
    Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 2 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Megadeals valued at $10 billion or more drove the surge, with 49 such transactions announced thus far this year, the highest on record for nine months, according to the firm's data.
    Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2025
  • Schneider and Sida got in a car early Monday and drove to get Francine.
    John Raby, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The state argued incidents that arose from the ICE facility protests in recent months have been handled by local law enforcement and have not been severe enough to be considered a riot or rebellion.
    Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 3 Oct. 2025
  • Until now, Hiyune handled the initial creation from scratch, but now the two of us also contribute at that stage.
    Billboard Japan, Billboard, 3 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Ran.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ran. Accessed 10 Oct. 2025.

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