to overrun
Third Person
overruns
Present Participle
overrunning
Past Tense
overran
Past Participle
overrun
1
to invade or overwhelm with a large number, surpassing defenses
transitive
- The enemy forces attempted to overrun the border, catching the defenders off guard.
- During the surprise attack, the invaders sought to overrun the strategically important city.
- The locusts threatened to overrun the agricultural fields, causing widespread crop damage.
- In times of war, nations may deploy additional troops to prevent the enemy from overruning their territory.
- The protesters aimed to overrun the government buildings, demanding political change.
Synonyms:
2
to move beyond a boundary or limit, often in an uncontrolled way
transitive
- The vines overran the garden, covering the walls and pathways.
- The parade overran the street, spilling into nearby lanes.
- The crowd overran the concert hall, standing in the aisles and overflow areas.
- The traffic overran the usual route, causing a bottleneck on the highway.
- The festival overran the park, with activities extending into the adjacent streets.
3
to win against and take the place of someone or something
transitive
- The soldiers overran the opposing forces, occupying their trenches and outposts.
- The team overran the competition, taking the championship with ease.
- The insurgents overran the military base, pushing the soldiers out of their positions.
- The soldiers overran the enemy camp, seizing all their weapons and supplies.
- The enemy forces were overrun by the advancing troops and forced to retreat.
4
to spill or flow over the edges or boundaries of something
transitive
- The river overran its banks, flooding the surrounding fields.
- The heavy rain caused the water to overrun the drainage system.
- The waves overran the beach, reaching farther than usual due to the storm.
- The creek overran its edges, covering the walking trail with water.
- The soda overran the glass when it was filled too quickly.