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.
It feels stark now, our choices: We picked the yard with the ornamental cherry tree over the proximity of a friend who can run over when our baby is struggling to breathe at 3 a.m.
From Slate ● Oct. 28, 2026
Nguyen had told her boyfriend she thought the dog was run over but did not admit to running over the animal herself, Garcia said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
He allowed one run over six innings, propelling the Yankees to a matchup with the Tampa Bay Rays in the division series.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
Former England winger Andros Townsend has described the moment he was run over by a pitch roller in Thailand as "terrifying".
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
She whispered at him, her eyes still closed but her lips tightened in a thin line, “It takes a mighty brave man to run over turtles.”
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
