run over
Britishverb
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(tr, adverb) to knock down (a person) with a moving vehicle
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(intr) to overflow the capacity of (a container)
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(intr, preposition) to examine hastily or make a rapid survey of
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(intr, preposition) to exceed (a limit)
we've run over our time
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Knock down and, often, pass over, as in The car ran over our dog . [First half of 1900s]
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Review quickly, as in I'll run over the speech one more time . [Early 1600s]
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Overflow, as in This pot's running over . This usage appears in the well-known Twenty-third Psalm: “My cup runneth over [with God's bounty].”
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Go beyond, exceed, as in I've run over the allotted time, but there are still questions . [Early 1500s]
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.
The driverless tractor with spiked steel wheels will run over a programmed course, flattening newly spread trash to create space to bury more garbage.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026
Aenlle-Rocha also responded to an incident in which the stylist claims her foot was run over by a heavy clothes rack.
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026
And those visits often run over their allotted time, meaning that primary care doctors are often behind.
From Slate ● Aug. 22, 2026
Aspiring parents know the first IVF cycle can run over $15,000, and arranging a private adoption will far exceed that amount.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 1, 2026
When we got too hot, we went to the muddy little creek that ran behind the slack dump and sat down on the rocks and let the cool water run over our feet.
From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam
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.
