ran across

phrase

past tense of run across
1
as in found
to come upon unexpectedly or by chance She ran across an old friend at lunch.

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in encountered
to come upon face-to-face or as if face-to-face They ran across a bear while camping in the woods.

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ran across
  1. ran into
  2. bumped into
Phrase
  • Dorgu ran into players, and Fernandes, throwing his arms around in exasperation at Tielemans’ failure to control the ball, looked a picture of frustration.
    — Stuart James, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • But government lawyers ran into a hornet’s nest after subpoenaing Rhode Island hospital for records about medical care for gender dysphoria.
    — Bart Jansen, USA Today, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of ran into
Phrase
  • Rios bumped into the second man before pulling out a gun and firing a shot in his direction, deputies said.
    — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Instead of swinging all the way out, the door bumped into somebody.
    — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of bumped into
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

ran
ran across
ran after
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ran across.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ran%20across. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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