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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.

He ran a regression analysis on several key variables to show that investors should expect headline CPI to remain consistently above 3% over the next three to six months.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 14, 2026

That’s also why I left the private sector and ran for the U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

Hounkpe ran a low-key campaign and needed the help of majority lawmakers to secure the required parliamentary endorsements even to get on the ballot paper.

From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026

Dhillon ran for statewide office as a Republican and lost badly, and later became the chair of the San Francisco Republican Party.

From Salon • Apr. 12, 2026

Just inside his small private entrance a wooden bench ran along the wall.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.