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Synonyms

aground

American  
[uh-ground] / əˈgraʊnd /

adverb

  1. on or into the ground; in a stranded condition or state.

    The ship ran aground.
aground British  
/ əˈɡraʊnd /

adverb

  1. (postpositive) on or onto the ground or bottom, as in shallow water

"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

Etymology

Origin of aground

1250–1300; Middle English. See a- 1, ground 1

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.

What’s Next: As late as last month lawmakers seemed poised to move forward with the bill, however the Senate’s version of it ran aground.

From Barron's • Feb. 20, 2026

However, the Senate’s version of the bill ran aground after lawmakers planned to include the yield ban.

From Barron's • Feb. 19, 2026

He was senior operations manager for the the UK's Marine Pollution Control Unit and one of the first people to step on board the Sea Empress after it ran aground.

From BBC • Feb. 14, 2026

One of them, the Dutch-flagged Thamesborg, ran aground in the Franklin Strait, where it got stuck for over a month.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 30, 2025

There is a tale told in the East Reach of a boat that ran aground, days out from any shore, over the abyss of ocean.

From "A Wizard of Earthsea" by Ursula K. Le Guin

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.