overran

USAGE SUMMARY

"overran" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it to describe a situation where something has exceeded its limits or boundaries, often in terms of time, space, or resources. Example: "The river overran its banks after the heavy rain." Alternative expressions include "overflowed" and "exceeded."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

After a cagey start Mihael Kovacevic broke into the Caley box but he overran the ball before he could cut it back into a dangerous position.

The Guardian - Sport

The transport secretary said the problems at King's Cross had arisen when work overran in a scheme to modernise points and overhead wiring, replacing 1km of track, and involved 14 engineering trains.

The Guardian

Thousands of passengers were left unable to travel after engineering work overran, leaving one major London rail station closed for a day and another temporarily closed.

The Guardian

But the tight and rigid timetable for Doha was designed to avoid a repetition of the Uruguay round, which overran by three years and still involved eleventh-hour horse-trading.

The Economist

Bolstered by ransoms paid for kidnapped Europeans, sometimes worth millions of dollars each, they have plenty of weapons captured from Malian bases they overran in the north or smuggled from Libya since Muammar Qaddafi's fall.

The Economist

Bolstered by ransoms paid for kidnapped Europeans, they have weapons captured from Malian bases they overran in the north or smuggled from Libya after Muammar Qaddafi fell.

The Economist

In Iraq they overran the city of Mosul and in nearby Sinjar they dealt the Iraqi Kurds a humiliating defeat.

The Economist

The nuns were guardians of an ancient Christian outpost in the town of Maaloula, north of Damascus, where a dialect of Aramaic (the tongue which Jesus spoke in everyday life) is still in use.The nuns were taken into custody by Jabhat al-Nusra, an Islamist faction which overran Maaloula late last year.

The Economist

Yemeni government operations have driven it out of some of the southern tribal areas it overran in 2011.

The Economist

When work near King's Cross overran the trains were switched to start and finish at Finsbury Park station but not enough was done to manage passenger flow, meaning the station had to close for a time, according to the report.

The Guardian

Mark said the attack on the town, which residents have warned of for some time, appeared to come after Boko Haram overran the towns of Hong and Gombi in neighbouring Adamawa state.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

In professional reporting, use "overran" to concisely describe projects that finished late or went over budget.

Common error

A frequent mistake is using "overran" in the passive voice. Incorrect: "The city was overran." Correct: "The city was <a href="/s/overrun" target="_blank" rel="alternative">overrun." Reserve "overran" for the active simple past tense (e.g., "The army 'overran' the city").

Linguistic Context

As the simple past tense of the irregular verb "overrun", "overran" functions as a transitive or intransitive verb to denote an action that happened in the past. According to Ludwig, it typically takes a direct object such as a budget, a time limit or a physical location.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

85%

Science

10%

Formal & Business

5%

Less common in

Wiki

8%

Reference

5%

Social Media

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In conclusion, "overran" is the definitive simple past tense of "overrun". Ludwig AI confirms its extensive usage in high-quality journalism to describe military conquests, financial deficits and scheduling issues. While it is often confused with its past participle counterpart, it remains an essential verb for any writer needing to convey that a limit was surpassed in a past context. Whether you are discussing history, politics or project management, "overran" provides the necessary grammatical precision to describe an action that has gone beyond its expected bounds.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

exceeded

Used primarily when referring to budgets, time limits or expectations

surpassed

Often used when a previous record or standard is beaten

invaded

Specific to military contexts where territory is taken by force

stormed

Implies a sudden, violent and successful attack on a position

overflowed

Used for liquids or physical containers that can no longer hold their contents

breached

Suggests breaking through a defensive barrier or line

swarmed

Focuses on a large, overwhelming number of people or creatures

overwhelmed

Highlights the state of the target being unable to resist

outran

A literal alternative meaning to run faster than something else

encroached

Implies a gradual or sneaky movement beyond established boundaries

FAQs

How to use overran in a sentence?

You use "overran" to describe an event in the past where limits were exceeded. For example: "The meeting 'overran' its scheduled time by thirty minutes."

What is the difference between overran and overrun?

"overran" is the simple past tense (e.g., "They 'overran' the base"), whereas "overrun" is the present tense or the past participle used in passive constructions (e.g., "The base was "overrun"").

What can I say instead of overran?

Depending on your specific context, you could use "exceeded" for time and budgets, "invaded" for territory or "overflowed" for physical containment.

Is overran a correct word?

Yes, "overran" is the standard and correct simple past tense form of the verb "overrun" according to Ludwig and major English dictionaries.