Synonyms of ran circles around

ran circles around

phrase

variants or ran rings around

past tense of run circles around

1

as in exceeded

to be greater, better, or stronger than

When it came to cooking, he ran circles around the rest of his family.

Synonyms & Similar Words

• exceeded
• surpassed
• topped
• eclipsed
• towered (over)
• went one better
• beat
• transcended
• excelled
• outshone
• outstripped
• outdid
• outclassed
• outdistanced
• overtopped
• outmatched
• outgunned
• bettered
• won (against)
• triumphed (over)
• mastered
• defeated
• overshadowed
• prevailed (over)
• overcame
• outpaced
• outweighed
• licked
• outraced
• outran
• subdued
• outperformed
• routed
• surmounted
• conquered
• whipped
• shamed
• clobbered
• trimmed
• overpassed
• trumped
• crushed
• trounced
• walloped
• thrashed
• outcompeted
• overmatched
• bested
• drubbed
• one-upped
• worsted
• outbalanced
• skunked
• overbore

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• lost (to)

2

as in blew away

to defeat by a large margin

The young girl ran circles around her chess opponent.

Synonyms & Similar Words

• blew away
• whipped
• buried
• snowed under
• upset
• wiped the floor with
• bombed
• overcame
• threw
• beat the pants off
• beat
• pasted
• routed
• flattened
• dusted
• trimmed
• mastered
• smothered
• topped
• annihilated
• clobbered
• skinned
• smoked
• ate alive
• overwhelmed
• shellacked
• thrashed
• trounced
• took
• creamed
• scored
• waxed
• exceeded
• won (against)
• triumphed (over)
• surpassed
• knocked over
• walloped
• dispatched
• whopped
• prevailed (over)
• knocked off
• destroyed
• swept
• succeeded
• whupped
• nosed out
• drubbed
• conquered
• edged (out)
• capped
• tromped
• skunked
• whomped
• licked
• finished
• subdued
• surmounted
• crushed
• slaughtered
• hurdled
• aced (out)
• subjugated
• vanquished
• did in
• transcended
• eclipsed
• overmatched
• bested
• outshone
• overthrew
• outstripped
• worsted
• overpowered
• overbore
• outdid
• upended
• outdistanced
• excelled
• overtopped
• bettered
• flourished
• outfought
• broke
• pipped
• sank

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of ran circles around

In the humid heat, the students ran circles around each other. — Delia Rose Sauer, Miami Herald, 11 July 2026