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ran down

verb

past tense of run down
1
as in found
to come upon after searching, study, or effort finally ran down the answer after hours of research

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 Gold buttons ran down the front placket of the dress, which Obama complemented with gold rings, earrings and ear cuffs. — Julia Teti, Footwear News, 11 Sep. 2026 Team investment helped when the league and union’s initial $100 million fund ran down, and flag participation declined, in the early 2010s. — Luke Cyphers, Sportico.com, 11 Sep. 2026 Bright flames shot out of an overhead compartment as flight attendants ran down the smoky aisle with fire extinguishers. — Alison J. Stein, HubSpot, 1 Sep. 2026 Vertical stripes ran down much of the dress before shifting direction along the hem. — Sameen Chaudhry, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026 Bleday also hit a deep drive that Arizona center fielder Ryan Waldschmidt ran down at the wall in the seventh and struck out in the ninth The 28-year-old left fielder topped his career high with the homer, his 21st of the season. — ABC News, 22 Aug. 2026 The land, most of it operated by the Peconic Land Trust to ensure it’s never developed, ran down to the bay, and there were hiking paths running through the entire property. — Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 21 Aug. 2026 Moments after the family left in a vehicle, six police officers ran down the street as a heavy law enforcement presence descended on downtown Las Vegas following reports of gunfire. — Danielle Bacher, PEOPLE, 19 Aug. 2026 In one instance, a witness said Redway arrived at practice wearing a cassock, ran down the aisle, and exited the church. — Ted Scouten, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ran down
  1. found
  2. dismissed
  3. learned
  4. minimized
  5. discovered
  6. talked down
  7. located
  8. diminished
Verb
  • Contour Circuits, founded by Secor and former graduate student Jeremy Rurup, received a $150,000 Small Business Technology Transfer contract to advance the technology.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 18 Sep. 2026
  • At Micam, curation takes place in sections like the Emerging Designer event area, founded in 2018.
    — Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of found
Verb
  • In California, a federal judge this month dismissed the administration’s challenge to school sports policies allowing transgender athletes to compete on teams matching their gender identity.
    — Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Netanyahu dismissed the allegations, and is suing Levi and several other Israelis who have made similar charges.
    — Ruth Margalit, New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of dismissed
Verb
  • Today, that room looks across UC Davis experimental fields — and toward the small airport where the home’s current owner, Elizabeth Thigpen, learned to fly as a teenager.
    — David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 19 Sep. 2026
  • These fans haven’t learned that in this city, there’s three ways to spell Loser.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of learned
Verb
  • The most common complaint, reported by one-third of women, was that providers minimized or dismissed their symptoms or pain.
    — Amanda Schupak, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Late Season Snow is inevitable in elk country and is usually the factor that triggers migration, although lately several years of mild weather have minimized elk movement.
    — Jim Zumbo, Outdoor Life, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of minimized
Verb
  • When researching this article on Jacquet’s upbringing, The Athletic discovered exactly why Liverpool were so keen to bring the 21-year-old to Anfield after a rapid rise through the ranks at Rennes.
    — David Ornstein, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Costs went up again due to a major design flaw discovered during construction in 2024.
    — Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of discovered
Verb
  • Oversimplifying things, on the other hand, would leave hardcore fans feeling as if they were being talked down to.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • There is a sense that it is patronised and talked down to a lot of the time.
    — Nick Miller, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of talked down
Verb
  • In June, citing concerns related to hurricane season, DHS said all detainees at the Florida state-run center located at an isolated airstrip in the Everglades were transferred to other facilities.
    — Gisela Salomon, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Many affected people are located in resource-poor regions where dialysis and transplants are often unaffordable or inaccessible, which can increase the odds of premature death, Paidi noted.
    — Shiv Sudhakar, FOXNews.com, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of located
Verb
  • With one franchise leader gone and another diminished, a Red Wings era — and arguably multiple eras — has ended.
    — Max Bultman, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026
  • If one leaves, the other, diminished in solitude, cannot long survive alone.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of diminished

Browse Nearby Words

randomness
ran down
randy
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Cite this Entry

“Ran down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ran%20down. Accessed 20 Sep. 2026.

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