1
as in invaded
to enter for conquest or plunder
waves of barbarians overran the Roman Empire during its long decline
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in exceeded
to go beyond the limit of
he must not overrun his authority as governor
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in infested
to spread or swarm over in a troublesome manner
ants are overrunning the garden
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of overran
That happened shortly after a militia overran a military garrison near the Ethiopian border.
—
ABC News, 6 Mar. 2026
Fighting rages on Since the RSF overran el-Fasher, which had been one of the army’s last strongholds in Darfur, fighting has recently concentrated in various areas of Kordofan.
—Noha Elhennawy, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
But word got out and large crowds of people overran the land and destroyed nearly everything Sutter had.
—Kurt Snibbe, Oc Register, 24 Jan. 2026
Sadat was forced to flee the Afghan capital with her family in 2021 after Taliban forces overran the city.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 16 Jan. 2026
The situation in el-Fasher was dire even before the RSF overran it this week.
—NPR, 30 Oct. 2025
The Jays’ leadoff hitter also reached safely against Yamamoto in the following two innings, first on an infield popup with a 100 percent catch probability that Freddie Freeman overran, then when Yamamoto drilled George Springer on the wrist.
—Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025
The Mexican Army attacked and overran the Texas defenses.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2025
In 1741, his forces overran Tabarka, enslaving many residents and sending shockwaves throughout the western Mediterranean.
—Miquel Ros, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2025
ABC News, 6 Mar. 2026
Fighting rages on Since the RSF overran el-Fasher, which had been one of the army’s last strongholds in Darfur, fighting has recently concentrated in various areas of Kordofan.
—Noha Elhennawy, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
But word got out and large crowds of people overran the land and destroyed nearly everything Sutter had.
—Kurt Snibbe, Oc Register, 24 Jan. 2026
Sadat was forced to flee the Afghan capital with her family in 2021 after Taliban forces overran the city.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 16 Jan. 2026
The situation in el-Fasher was dire even before the RSF overran it this week.
—NPR, 30 Oct. 2025
The Jays’ leadoff hitter also reached safely against Yamamoto in the following two innings, first on an infield popup with a 100 percent catch probability that Freddie Freeman overran, then when Yamamoto drilled George Springer on the wrist.
—Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025
The Mexican Army attacked and overran the Texas defenses.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2025
In 1741, his forces overran Tabarka, enslaving many residents and sending shockwaves throughout the western Mediterranean.
—Miquel Ros, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overran
Verb
-
Penn's support for Ukraine dates back to 2022 Penn has long advocated for Ukraine and even gifted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy an Oscar in 2022, shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine and the two countries went to war.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
16 Mar. 2026
-
The all-time high for the most consumers have ever paid for gasoline was in the summer of 2022, after Russia invaded Ukraine.—
Cecilia Vega,
CBS News,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The seamless cooperation between the two allies has exceeded expectations.—
Michael M. Rosen,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Mar. 2026
-
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health issued the warning because the bacteria levels exceeded state health standards.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Allegations of betting on suicide Like other detainees, Ramsingh said that between cleanings, the rooms, restrooms and showers were often filthy and infested with insects.—
Morgan Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Radishes are another cabbage relative that can be infested by problematic pests like aphids and flea beetles.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Fast forward to now, when Andrew was arrested on his birthday, questioned for over 11 hours, and his homes and offices were raided.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Reginald Arthurell — who began transitioning to a woman shortly after his release from prison in 2020 — was removed from the home after heavily armed officers raided the address on Monday, radio station 2GB reported.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
A week before the first round of the conference tournament, the event already surpassed its ticket sales from 2025.—
Lev Akabas,
Sportico.com,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Though he's been inconsistent throughout his career, his best stretches have surpassed what McCarthy has shown on the field.—
Anthony Bettin,
CBS News,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
But the revelry was also plagued with the yearly medical emergencies, arrests and public safety challenges.—
Grace Zokovitch,
Boston Herald,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Republicans and Democrats at the Capitol alike say fraud prevention is a top priority this year in the wake of scandals like the one that plagued housing stabilization services, so this is just one bill related to this topic this session.—
Caroline Cummings,
CBS News,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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As Jordan sat, his mother by his side, overwhelmed by the magnitude of what had just happened, the roar of approval reverberating through the auditorium, my body, seemingly flooded with butterflies, appeared to dissolve into the screen.—
Baz Bamigboye,
Deadline,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Strauss leaned into the idea that viewers generally are overwhelmed by streaming platforms that offer dozens if not hundreds of titles but little curation.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
15 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overran.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overran. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
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