ran

variants also chiefly dialectal run
past tense of run
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2
3
as in went
to be positioned along a certain course or in a certain direction the road runs along the river for a while

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4
as in ranged
to occur within a continuous range of variation the electric bill runs between 30 and 50 dollars a month

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5
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7
as in tended
to show a liking or proneness (for something) unfortunately, members of his family run to fatness

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

8
as in drove
to urge, push, or force onward they ran the horses hard in order to get to the ranch quickly

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10
as in turned
to eventually have as a state or quality the poor woman ran herself ragged trying to care for all those children

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as in cost
to have a price of that sort of computer runs at least several hundred dollars

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16

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 There are six monochrome colors to choose from, and the good news for shoppers who find that their pants tend to run too short or too long is that each colorway has the option to choose between a 31- or 29-inch inseam. Annita Katee, Travel + Leisure, 4 Jan. 2025 Mangione's case will run parallel to federal charges, which carry the possibility of the death penalty. Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 24 Dec. 2024 This time, my dog took off and ran into the yard of a house bordering the park. James Parker, The Atlantic, 24 Dec. 2024 Seattle’s offensive line allows a lot of pressure, the team doesn’t run the ball much (or very well) and the quarterback is often in pure passing situations without any misdirection or run threat. Michael-Shawn Dugar, The Athletic, 24 Dec. 2024 The Black Knights run the highest percentage of run concepts using outside zone and man. Jay Ginsbach, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024 Founder Margiela retired in 2009, and the label was run by an anonymous team (one that for a time included Bottega Veneta creative director Matthieu Blazy) until Galliano’s appointment. Lucy Maguire, Vogue, 11 Dec. 2024 Saudi Arabia ran unopposed for the tournament after FIFA tweaked the rules and brought forward the deadline, and so the outcome was wholly expected. Max Goldbart, Deadline, 11 Dec. 2024 And the deal ran into stiff opposition from a coalition of unions, small grocery stores and political leaders from both parties wary of corporate consolidation. Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN, 11 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ran
Verb
  • But while there are still a lot of questions to be answered, the prospect of a Pixel-like camera design seems to have retreated.
    David Phelan, Forbes, 21 Dec. 2024
  • It’s hardly been altered in the 17,000 years or so since those glaciers retreated.
    Ashley Balzer Vigil, Ars Technica, 21 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Those bleak years devastated the American rail industry, as revenue fell by 50 percent from 1928 to 1933, and a third of the country’s railroads went into bankruptcy.
    Patrick Sauer, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Dec. 2024
  • Someone won a $68 million jackpot in New York on Christmas Eve in 2002, but that prize went unclaimed.
    Aliza Chasan, CBS News, 24 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • The comedian Jamie Loftus’s previous podcasts have ranged wildly in subject matter—Mensa meetings, Floridian spiritualists, the comic-strip character Cathy—but benefited equally from her attention to detail.
    Marnie Shure, The Atlantic, 24 Dec. 2024
  • The victims ranged in age from 12- to 44- years-old, police said.
    Roni Jacobson, New York Daily News, 23 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Strong trading revenues drove the beat, and shares rose 2% in early trading.
    Catherine Baab, Quartz, 14 Apr. 2025
  • The man suffered minor injuries, drove himself to a hospital and was later released.
    Mitchell Willetts, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Stay-at-home mom Chloe Talbert, 32, has melted hearts online after sharing the sweet video (@the_oakie_dokie on Instagram and TikTok) of her son, Noah, 3, and his giant best friend, Millie.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 21 Mar. 2025
  • The precious Reddit video melted hearts and had amassed over 810 upvotes as of Monday, with viewers touched by their style of play.
    David Faris, Newsweek, 17 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • The prescribed fire has been burning on federal land managed by the United States Forest Service.
    CA WILDFIRE BOT, Sacramento Bee, 25 Mar. 2025
  • To the extent that my younger self had ever managed to conjure up a vision of a dream career (not including winning the Olympics as a runner), this was it.
    Alex Hutchinson, Outside Online, 25 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Henry's decision to seek safety, while understandable, ultimately cost him the opportunity to retire earlier.
    David Thomas, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025
  • These Tariffs are nearly 10x the size of those imposed during the Trump-Pence Administration and will cost American families over $3,500 per year.
    Raja Krishnamoorthi, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The Brutalist will likely arrive on Max within three to five months—or sometime between March and May 2025—though pinpointing an exact release date is challenging, as A24's Max streaming timelines have varied over the past year.
    Monica Mercuri, Forbes, 5 Jan. 2025
  • For example, our sales and marketing strategy varied depending on the digital maturity of each region and industry.
    Padmakumar Nair, Forbes, 3 Jan. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Ran.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ran. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.

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