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.
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
Borthwick's side, without their British and Irish Lions, won twice in Argentina last summer to seal a series victory, extending their winning run over the Pumas to five matches.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
So he assigned Ousmane Dembélé a top-secret job: The moment the referee blew his whistle, he was to run over and protect that patch of the field.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
Chase Herrell, Ben Cushnie and Andrew Johnson gave up just one run over six innings, with Johnson retiring the first eight batters he faced.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 5, 2026
I run over a piece of debris in the road.
From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
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.
