1
as in found
to come upon after searching, study, or effort
finally ran down the answer after hours of research
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dismissed
to express scornfully one's low opinion of
constantly running down the city's cultural life won't do anything to improve it
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 down
As Roberto De Zerbi ran down the touchline in celebration of Joao Palhinha giving Tottenham Hotspur the lead against Everton on the final day of the Premier League season, one of his players was in hot pursuit.
—
Jay Harris, New York Times, 27 May 2026
The home jersey featured dark red and blue stripes paired with a solid blue collar, while subtle Meyba detailing ran down the shoulders for a sleeker, more contemporary feel for its time.
—Tiana Randall, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
Abdul ran down the stairs with the victim’s wife, who is also named Maria.
—Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 23 May 2026
Dreyer ran down the ball, held off a defender, threatened the goalkeeper and made a perfect cross that the 5-foot-91/2 Lozano headed home five minutes into injury time.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 May 2026
Happy tears ran down her face at what appeared to be a celebration for the couple, complete with cupcakes, balloons and a live band.
—Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 19 May 2026
And with the amount of balls that that dude ran down Atlanta, that doesn’t surprise me in the least.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 18 May 2026
Sand fell out and ran down the sides of his face.
—Stephen King, The Atlantic, 15 May 2026
But rivulets of sunblock still ran down everyone’s necks.
—Erin Tan, NBC news, 13 May 2026
Jay Harris, New York Times, 27 May 2026
The home jersey featured dark red and blue stripes paired with a solid blue collar, while subtle Meyba detailing ran down the shoulders for a sleeker, more contemporary feel for its time.
—Tiana Randall, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
Abdul ran down the stairs with the victim’s wife, who is also named Maria.
—Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 23 May 2026
Dreyer ran down the ball, held off a defender, threatened the goalkeeper and made a perfect cross that the 5-foot-91/2 Lozano headed home five minutes into injury time.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 May 2026
Happy tears ran down her face at what appeared to be a celebration for the couple, complete with cupcakes, balloons and a live band.
—Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 19 May 2026
And with the amount of balls that that dude ran down Atlanta, that doesn’t surprise me in the least.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 18 May 2026
Sand fell out and ran down the sides of his face.
—Stephen King, The Atlantic, 15 May 2026
But rivulets of sunblock still ran down everyone’s necks.
—Erin Tan, NBC news, 13 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ran down
Verb
-
The backstory The property opened in March 2015 as the first hotel of the 1 Hotels brand founded by Barry Sternlight, and resides in the former Gansevoort Hotel.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
-
The Tea Party, that movement of grass-roots right-wing anger that evolved into MAGA, was founded the same year.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
Hassett dismissed Chapman's assessment, insisting that there is enough inventory.—
Ford McCracken,
ABC News,
31 May 2026
-
When he’s dismissed from his SETI job, a huge cover-up ensues.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
But experts for years have said companies have not learned from past mistakes.—
Iris Kwok,
Los Angeles Times,
28 May 2026
-
While the boy was being detained, officers learned a juvenile female passenger in the truck had suffered minor injuries during the collisions, police said.—
Jason Green,
Mercury News,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
Starry is propelled by my real and personal anger that these women’s contributions to the genre have been minimized or elided altogether.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 June 2026
-
When speaking to Popcast, Levinson also defended the sexualization of the series, explained why some of the storylines ended up mirroring real life, and why some characters were minimized.—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
The tunnel was discovered through intelligence work conducted by agents with the FGR's Criminal Investigation Agency in coordination with Mexico's Security Cabinet.—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
2 June 2026
-
Muntadas, Miller, and Lord discovered the contest during its first month.—
Jonathan Odden,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
The contractors talked down to me.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 May 2026
-
Others described feeling they were being talked down to.—
Rebecca Noel,
Charlotte Observer,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Such plants are predominantly located in communities of color, with an average of 77% of the residents within a mile identifying as such, according to census data.—
Jason Henry,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
-
Since then, five of the remaining seven have been located, with one rescued from the chamber Friday night.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
Attendance diminished in recent years as the Wizards tore down their roster in the hopes of accumulating draft picks in trades and losing enough games to win early picks via the annual draft lottery.—
Josh Robbins,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
-
The future-proof leader is the person disciplined enough to question their own assumptions, recognize when familiar frameworks no longer serve the moment, and understand that leadership is strengthened, not diminished, by remaining open to growth.—
Mary Hemphill,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ran down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ran%20down. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
