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
Everyone inside the building ran down the emergency stairs.
—
Will Clark,
NBC news,
26 June 2026
Byron Buxton scorched a double into the gap that Andy Pages ran down and, without stopping, whipped back to Betts as the cutoff man.
—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
24 June 2026
With encouragement from Kincaid, Lee, 49, began by planting small sages that would grow quickly and help prevent erosion, since water, mulch and rain often ran down the hillside to the sidewalk.
—
Lisa Boone,
Los Angeles Times,
10 June 2026
Diamondbacks center fielder Jorge Barrosa ran down five fly balls by Dodgers hitters.
—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
2 June 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
Will Clark,
NBC news,
26 June 2026
Byron Buxton scorched a double into the gap that Andy Pages ran down and, without stopping, whipped back to Betts as the cutoff man.
—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
24 June 2026
With encouragement from Kincaid, Lee, 49, began by planting small sages that would grow quickly and help prevent erosion, since water, mulch and rain often ran down the hillside to the sidewalk.
—
Lisa Boone,
Los Angeles Times,
10 June 2026
Diamondbacks center fielder Jorge Barrosa ran down five fly balls by Dodgers hitters.
—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
2 June 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ran down
Verb
-
America, whose Constitution was formulated by white men, struggled to live up to its founding ideals in the days of slavery and displacement of Native Americans.
-
Dioz was co-founded by Johnny, 44, and his brother Tony in 2006.
Verb
-
Interviewed following his win on ESPN, the 42-year-old Chestnut dismissed, more or less, the impact of today’s 92 degree New York heat on the proceedings.
-
The nonprofit, which alleged the county violated the Surplus Lands Act by not first exploring affordable-housing development at the site, still has not dismissed its lawsuit.
Verb
-
Investigators on the case were able to track the Dodge Ram to the dealership and learned that Fleming purchased it in cash and traded in the Dodge Challenger.
-
Since this World Cup began, how many people have learned about Cape Verde, the small nation off the west coast of Africa?
Verb
-
These behaviors are often minimized as personality quirks or generational differences.
-
Highlight details are more vivid and color bleeding is minimized.
Verb
-
Nathan quickly discovered that limited money forces difficult choices.
-
Relatives of a woman discovered dead by her son with her neck slashed in the lobby of her Brooklyn apartment building are appealing to the public for help with funeral expenses.
Verb
-
The contractors talked down to me.
-
Others described feeling they were being talked down to.
Verb
-
Hours later, as the bodies of the children were being handed over to their families, scenes of anguish unfolded outside hospitals and in the neighborhood on the outskirts of Lahore where the private tutoring center was located in a house.
-
Troopers, assisted by the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office and the Fort Worth Police Department, located the suspect nearby and took him into custody without incident.
Verb
-
But later, when the same image appeared alongside a photo of someone the participant relied on for support, like a partner, parent, or friend, the fear response diminished.
-
Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi’s great rival, who is forty-one and diminished, showed the danger of staying too long.
Cite this Entry
“Ran down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ran%20down. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
