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 metal has had a strong run over the past year, but its lackluster performance during the Iran conflict has disappointed some investors who expected a sharper haven bid.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 30, 2026
He followed that up against the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday, surrendering just one unearned run over six frames, keeping his season ERA at 0.00.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026
As a third-year veterinary student at the University of Surrey, Alana has seen the dangers free-roaming cats face, such as being run over, fights and disease.
From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026
Wrobleski has also not allowed a run over three innings of work in two Cactus League appearances, including one start.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 5, 2026
Cactus plant pinpricks of heat run over my face in vertical strips.
From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera
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.
