1 B1 neutral
To drive a vehicle over a person, animal, or object, hitting them
"The driver didn't see the cat and ran it over before he could stop."
separable
run over
B1 neutral separable transitive/intransitive
To drive a vehicle over a person or thing, to review something quickly, or to exceed a time limit
In plain English
To hit someone with a car, to quickly check something again, or to go on longer than planned
What does "run over" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 idiomatic neutral
To review or look through something quickly
"Let me run over the key points before we finish the session."
separable
3 B1 neutral
To exceed a time or quantity limit
"The speech ran over by fifteen minutes, and the audience grew restless."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To run and pass over something — the vehicle sense is the most literal
Actually means
To hit someone with a car, to quickly check something again, or to go on longer than planned
Usage tip
All three senses are common. 'Run over the main points' is common in meetings. 'Run over time' is heard in presentations and broadcasts. The vehicle sense is distressingly common in news reports.
Words that pair with "run over"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
time budget notes points pedestrian dog
How to conjugate "run over"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
run over
I/you/we/they
3rd person
runs over
he/she/it
Past simple
ran over
yesterday
Past participle
run over
have + pp
-ing form
running over
continuous
Hear "run over" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "run over" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
Jump to every phrasal verb built on the same verb, particle, or level.