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
The mega watch party is free of charge and runs June 13 through July 5, with capacity for 30,000 daily attendees.
—
Miami Herald, 11 June 2026
In the second quarter just now, the Madison Square Garden video board ran a video segment thanking the NYPD, when earlier today, the two organizations appeared to be at odds over the watch party outside the arena, which is not happening tonight.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 11 June 2026
Native materials, like Caballero white marble from the north coast, run throughout the property, giving it a sandy, neutral appearance.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 June 2026
Jack Dreyer replaced Hurt and ran into his own issues.
—Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 11 June 2026
Ultra-luxury medical retreats can cost tens of thousands of dollars before flights, and multi-night stays at specialized clinics routinely run into the thousands of pounds.
—Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 10 June 2026
Joined by The Ringer’s Chris Ryan and other hosts, the series will premiere on June 10 and run throughout the World Cup, reacting to the tournament action through Friedland’s comedic lens.
—Arushi Jacob, Variety, 10 June 2026
Federal prosecutors unsealed an indictment Wednesday against eight pro-Palestinian activists who are accused of conspiring to run a criminal intimidation campaign against University of Michigan officials while trying to force the school to cut financial ties to Israel.
—ABC News, 10 June 2026
The cost of running the A/C is exacerbating the problem.
—Manuel Bojorquez, CBS News, 10 June 2026
Miami Herald, 11 June 2026
In the second quarter just now, the Madison Square Garden video board ran a video segment thanking the NYPD, when earlier today, the two organizations appeared to be at odds over the watch party outside the arena, which is not happening tonight.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 11 June 2026
Native materials, like Caballero white marble from the north coast, run throughout the property, giving it a sandy, neutral appearance.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 June 2026
Jack Dreyer replaced Hurt and ran into his own issues.
—Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 11 June 2026
Ultra-luxury medical retreats can cost tens of thousands of dollars before flights, and multi-night stays at specialized clinics routinely run into the thousands of pounds.
—Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 10 June 2026
Joined by The Ringer’s Chris Ryan and other hosts, the series will premiere on June 10 and run throughout the World Cup, reacting to the tournament action through Friedland’s comedic lens.
—Arushi Jacob, Variety, 10 June 2026
Federal prosecutors unsealed an indictment Wednesday against eight pro-Palestinian activists who are accused of conspiring to run a criminal intimidation campaign against University of Michigan officials while trying to force the school to cut financial ties to Israel.
—ABC News, 10 June 2026
The cost of running the A/C is exacerbating the problem.
—Manuel Bojorquez, CBS News, 10 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ran
Verb
-
Walk stole third and then trotted home when Camden Johnson clubbed his ninth home run of the season.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
7 June 2026
-
As Augie Lopez trotted around the bases late Monday night, the small contingent of USC fans could finally be heard at Blue Bell Park.—
Jose de Jesus Ortiz,
Los Angeles Times,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
Those shifts mean that while the reopening of Hormuz will still be significant, prices have already heavily retreated from their highs.—
Bloomberg,
Oc Register,
12 June 2026
-
Seeking a brief escape from the public grief that had engulfed her family, 34-year-old Jackie retreated to the White House family quarters and found the British royal entertaining her young son.—
Simon Perry,
PEOPLE,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
Can the country’s football team, now led by the veteran manager Carlos Queiroz, bring some success along with all that?—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
-
That licking instinct may have led Jacobs’s elk to an area known as Flag Swamp, a one-acre wetland filled with blue flag irises and shrubby willow trees.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
His photographs of Sting graced the cover of the Police’s landmark 1983 Synchronicity album, while other subjects ranged from Robert Rauschenberg to Nancy Reagan.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
12 June 2026
-
Charges ranged from assault on a cop to criminal possession of a knife to reckless endangerment, while 10 officers sustained injuries.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
Tears flowed as a historic postseason ended deep in San Diego County.—
Dan Albano,
Oc Register,
7 June 2026
-
Crucially, Ngai says, the term for extraterrestrials flowed from the word for foreigners, not the other way around.—
Harmeet Kaur,
CNN Money,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
That ruling focused on the referendum campaign, which raced to collect signatures across Missouri last year to hold a statewide vote on the map in November.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
12 June 2026
-
Retail traders raced to get in on SpaceX's IPO given their broad support for Musk following Tesla's success.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
For the night, the singer leaned upon one of her favorite beauty signatures—an immovable red lip, hair up in a fishtail braid, tied up with a team-colors blue and orange ribbon.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
11 June 2026
-
At the time of the injury, Chiefs vice president of sports medicine and performance Rick Burkholder provided a broad seven-to-11-month recovery timeline — and every update since has leaned optimistic.—
Pete Sweeney,
Kansas City Star,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
By 1986, this legal jeopardy drove all but one vaccine manufacturer out of the market, with that last survivor poised to abandon vaccines in the US as well.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
-
Evidence shows planned meeting Prosecutors say cell phone geolocation and call records showed Campbell left his home in Anson and drove about 30 minutes to an Abilene hotel to meet the minors.—
Doug Myers,
CBS News,
11 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ran.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ran. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
