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
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Recent Examples of ran down
Prosecutors said Haney intentionally drove his SUV onto the Commonwealth Avenue Mall near the intersection with Hereford Street and ran down Axelrod, who was walking his dog at the time.
—
Riley Rourke, CBS News, 13 Feb. 2026
The piers of an unfinished, elevated toll road, the Skyway, ran down the center of one of the streets, Gregorio Araneta Avenue, which also happened to be the home of Manila’s new boom industry, a mile-and-a-half-long strip of funeral homes, florists, and crematoria.
—Sean Williams, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Gold buttons ran down the front placket of the coat, while the midi skirt of the coat flowed for a sense of movement.
—Julia Teti, Footwear News, 26 Jan. 2026
When Oden walked onto the floor for the start of the third OT, Boise State coach Leon Rice ran down the sideline, waving the real-time box score that is distributed to the teams and media during timeouts; the printout had Oden with five fouls.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Jan. 2026
The team security guard who ran down the back hallway, ecstatic.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 6 Jan. 2026
Efinger then ran down the stairs and opened another door, which the complaint alleged also lacked a DE or protective system, leading to the outside tarmac.
—David Chiu, PEOPLE, 2 Jan. 2026
Smith ran down the sideline and broke away from Livingstone’s defense inside of four minutes left in regulation, helping the Golden Bulls run out the clock.
—Shane Connuck, Charlotte Observer, 8 Nov. 2025
Loveland, lined up to Williams’ right, ran down the seam in between the defenders.
—Kevin Fishbain, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
Riley Rourke, CBS News, 13 Feb. 2026
The piers of an unfinished, elevated toll road, the Skyway, ran down the center of one of the streets, Gregorio Araneta Avenue, which also happened to be the home of Manila’s new boom industry, a mile-and-a-half-long strip of funeral homes, florists, and crematoria.
—Sean Williams, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Gold buttons ran down the front placket of the coat, while the midi skirt of the coat flowed for a sense of movement.
—Julia Teti, Footwear News, 26 Jan. 2026
When Oden walked onto the floor for the start of the third OT, Boise State coach Leon Rice ran down the sideline, waving the real-time box score that is distributed to the teams and media during timeouts; the printout had Oden with five fouls.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Jan. 2026
The team security guard who ran down the back hallway, ecstatic.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 6 Jan. 2026
Efinger then ran down the stairs and opened another door, which the complaint alleged also lacked a DE or protective system, leading to the outside tarmac.
—David Chiu, PEOPLE, 2 Jan. 2026
Smith ran down the sideline and broke away from Livingstone’s defense inside of four minutes left in regulation, helping the Golden Bulls run out the clock.
—Shane Connuck, Charlotte Observer, 8 Nov. 2025
Loveland, lined up to Williams’ right, ran down the seam in between the defenders.
—Kevin Fishbain, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ran down
Verb
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Meanwhile the National Citizen Party (NCP), a political party founded by students following the uprising, has struggled to meaningfully muscle its way into Bangladesh’s fractious and often violent political scene.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Who founded Black History Month?—
Alex Perry,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Both Beijing and Hong Kong’s government have repeatedly rejected international criticism of Lai’s prosecution and dismissed accusations that his jailing was politically motivated or an assault on press freedom.—
Chris Lau,
CNN Money,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Karklin believes recreational flying and short-distance travel should not be dismissed.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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For years, this unspoken truth has hardened her, shaping her into a woman of precision and emotional distance — a mother who learned survival through silence.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Kanzi learned elements of language at a very young age.—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The report warned that neglect is often minimized within the child welfare system, where it can be conflated with poverty and social workers may be reluctant to penalize poor or minority parents who are juggling multiple jobs.—
Julia Prodis Sulek,
Mercury News,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Foliage disease can be minimized by ensuring good air circulation within the crown through proper plant spacing.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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On his phone, customs agents discovered messages encouraging extreme violence, rape, Nazism and self-harm.—
Curt Devine,
CNN Money,
10 Feb. 2026
-
When the children were finally taken into state custody, many were discovered to have a vast array of illnesses, developmental delays, and genetic conditions that had been left untreated.—
David Remnick,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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After Jacksonville, after years of fans feeling talked down to and reporters feeling undermined, this silly little event served a purpose for a change.—
Jerry Brewer,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
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While Joan is visiting the Westside Hospital with her students, Michael (Omar Metwally) offers her the Chief of Internal Medicine position after she, not very subtly, told him not to hire anyone who is asking for it and talked down other potential candidates.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In addition, about 100 Palestinian security officers located in Egypt when the war broke out received security training there, according to a European diplomat who did not have permission to brief the media and spoke on condition of anonymity.—
Daniel Estrin,
NPR,
13 Feb. 2026
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Since 2020, the Greater Milwaukee Foundation has invested $41 million into the ThriveOn King building, grants to neighborhood nonprofits and small business loans to entrepreneurs located in the corridor, according to Jeremy Podolski, a spokesperson for the foundation.—
Everett Eaton,
jsonline.com,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The mood around EVs can be attributed to many factors, such as the loss of federal tax credits in 2025; the end of emissions waivers and revenues from carbon credits; and diminished aftermarket values as consumers fear battery degradation and anticipate quickly evolving technologies.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
5 Feb. 2026
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Davie’s successor will inherit an organization wrestling with its place in a media ecosystem dominated by overseas tech giants, as well as battling enemies closer to home, with conservative politicians and media proprietors wishing to see the BBC diminished during charter renewal.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ran down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ran%20down. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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