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  • ran
    ran
    verb
    simple past tense of run.
  • Ran
    Ran
    noun
    a sea goddess who drags down ships and drowns sailors: the wife of Aegir.
  • RAN
    RAN
    abbreviation
    Royal Australian Navy
Synonyms

ran

1 American  
[ran] / ræn /

verb

  1. simple past tense of run.


Ran 2 American  
[rahn] / rɑn /

noun

Scandinavian Mythology.
  1. a sea goddess who drags down ships and drowns sailors: the wife of Aegir.


RAN 1 British  

abbreviation

  1. Royal Australian Navy

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

ran 2 British  
/ ræn /

verb

  1. the past tense of run

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

“On the last week, I ran a 5K and felt incredible, with no shortness of breath or pain,” she said.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 8, 2026

In general, try to think about how would you feel if you ran into a big senior executive wearing this?

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 7, 2026

Like all first-time homeowners, we quickly ran into our share of problems.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 6, 2026

When Graham Platner ran for Senate, he came with an irresistible, dream candidate profile: a plainspoken veteran and man of the people who was ready to change careers from oyster farmer to politician.

From Salon Aug. 6, 2026

She was involved with the new Chinese Methodist Church, and she ran the Chinese Mission School where young Chinatown kids went after regular school to learn to read and write Chinese.

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu

Grieving relatives of Ran Gvili gathered on Wednesday as Israel prepared to bury the last hostage returned from Gaza, marking the end of a painful national saga triggered by Hamas's 2023 attack.

From Barron's Jan. 28, 2026

The remains of Ran Gvili, an Israeli military police sergeant who was killed and whose body was stolen to Gaza during the Hamas-led attack, were identified after a monthslong recovery effort.

From The Wall Street Journal Jan. 26, 2026

Ran economic blockades and encouraged American companies to treat the region’s riches, and its workers, like a cookie jar.

From Los Angeles Times Jan. 5, 2026

Ahead of his meeting with Trump, Netanyahu met in Palm Beach with Itzik and Talik Gvili, the parents of the last remaining deceased hostage in Gaza, Ran Gvili.

From The Wall Street Journal Dec. 29, 2025

Laurie, who went by Ran, was perhaps the best British stroke of his generation—188 pounds of power, grace, and keen intelligence.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown

The mandate also calls for more efforts to accelerate next-generation technologies including quantum innovation, AI and radio access network, known as Cloud RAN.

From The Wall Street Journal Oct. 15, 2025

"A few minutes later I saw Mr. Paxton RAN from the door inside the garage towards the rear door behind the driver side," he writes.

From Salon Sep. 27, 2022

“A few minutes later I saw Mr. Paxton RAN from the door inside the garage towards the rear door behind the driver side,” Mr. Herrera wrote.

From Washington Times Sep. 27, 2022

"As soon as he saw me and heard me call his name out, he turned around and RAN back inside the house through the same door in the garage," Herrera describes.

From Salon Sep. 27, 2022

All my clothes turned into rags, and I just RAN out of the room, I was so frightened.

From The Holiday Round by Milne, A. A. (Alan Alexander)

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