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.
Savery has always enjoyed using his size to run over tacklers.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 28, 2026
The stocks fell 8.1% and 4.9%, respectively, as investors sold off hardware names following a historic run over the second quarter.
From Barron's • Jun. 23, 2026
Typical rush hour congestion already creates borderline unsafe conditions for boarding and exiting popular junctions like Penn Station and Secaucus, partially because these rail lines already run over capacity.
From Salon • Jun. 3, 2026
In the next two years, the average global Fortune 500 enterprise will run over 150,000 AI agents, according to market research and IT consulting firm Gartner.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026
“I had no idea skating was so dangerous. You could have broken a leg, fallen unconscious, been run over by a car. Give the skates to me. Now!”
From "In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson" by Bette Bao Lord
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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.