AAAmerican Accent US

run over

Separable

The object can go before or after the particle — but a pronoun MUST go in the middle: “clean it up”, never “clean up it”.

How to say it

Stress the particle, not the verb: run OVER. Saying “RUN over” is the clearest learner tell — the verb stays light and the particle carries the beat.

Link across the gap. The final /n/ of “run” moves onto the particle and starts its syllable: “run over” is said “ru-nover”. Pausing between the words is what makes phrasal verbs sound recited rather than spoken.

3 meanings

  1. 1

    To hit someone or something with a vehicle.

    • “A car ran over the cat outside our house.”

    Similar: knock down

  2. 2

    To review something quickly.

    • “Let's run over the agenda one more time.”

    Similar: go over, review

  3. 3

    To exceed an allotted time.

    • “The meeting ran over by half an hour.”

    Similar: overrun

The particle logic

over

Something is examined from above, done again, or moved across.

Listen + practice

Hear “run over” spoken naturally

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More RUN phrasal verbs

Compare the whole family →

run into

To meet someone unexpectedly.

run out of

To use up the entire supply of something.

run away

To escape from a place, especially home.

run through

To rehearse or review something from beginning to end.

run by

To tell someone an idea in order to get their reaction.

run up

To accumulate a large bill or debt.

run down

To criticize someone or something unfairly.

run over — meaning, examples & how to say it