ran

variants also chiefly dialectal run
Definition of rannext
past tense of run
1
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

5
6
7
as in leaned
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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14
as in cost
to have a price of that sort of computer runs at least several hundred dollars

Synonyms & Similar Words

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16

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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ran
Verb
  • Second baseman Alex Freeland grabbed it and dove to beat Castro to first base for the out, but Rumfield trotted home on the play.
    Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 28 May 2026
  • The traveling show has globe-trotted annually, most recently to New York and the likes of Hangzhou, China; Manchester, England, and Dakar, Senegal.
    Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 27 May 2026
Verb
  • While India’s media landscape has largely retreated in the face of the Hindu right’s fascism, Kandasamy is one of the few consistently at the barricades.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 May 2026
  • Travel stocks — Shares of airlines and cruise operators rose as oil prices retreated on Wednesday.
    Davis Giangiulio, CNBC, 27 May 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
  • The victims ranged in age from 7 to 45 years old, Demlein said.
    Devon M. Sayers, CNN Money, 29 May 2026
  • Investigators say the children ranged in age from infants to 10 years old.
    Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 29 May 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
  • These two great rivals never raced each other again.
    Scott M. Reid, Oc Register, 30 May 2026
  • After exchanging blows, the youngster raced on to a Djokovic drop shot before exquisitely returning with a faint backhand of his own, leaving his opponent with his hands on his knees in disbelief.
    Thomas Schlachter, CNN Money, 29 May 2026
Verb
  • With fewer people coming to its stores and website to buy workout clothes, the company has also leaned more on discounting to drive sales, which has hurt its bottom line and its reputation as a premium brand.
    Gabrielle Fonrouge, CNBC, 4 June 2026
  • While Turek focused his message on the economy and pitched himself as the most likely candidate to defeat Hinson in November, Wahls leaned into an anti-establishment message that included criticism of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
    Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 3 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

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Cite this Entry

“Ran.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ran. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.

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