Overruns

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Goes beyond the set limits or amounts allowed ; to seize control of a place or position by force or numbers
2. Exceeds the intended or available resources, space, or time ; takes over or conquers an area through overwhelming power or presence
3. Surpasses boundaries or expectations in quantity or extent ; invades or dominates a location by overpowering opposition

Etymology: "Overruns" is the third-person singular present form of "overrun," so it traces back to the verb itself. That verb is a straightforward compound: "over-" joined to "run." The prefix comes from Old English "ofer," which carried the sense of being above or beyond, and it has been part of English since the Old English period. "Run" is the ordinary verb of rapid motion, so the combination literally means running over or past something. The military sense, to seize a place by sheer force or numbers, grows naturally from that physical picture. A force that runs over a position passes across it and takes it in the same motion, while the sense of exceeding a limit extends the image from ground to quantity. Both senses come from the same literal act of running across something.

Synonyms: exceeds, surpasses, overflows, oversteps, transgresses

Antonyms: falls short, underflows, limits, conforms, restrains