run over — hit with a vehicle
phrasal verbB1IELTS 5+neutralcommon
To hit and drive over someone or something with a vehicle, usually by accident.
Say it like a native
Textbook The motorist struck and drove over the animal.
Native A car ran over the cat.
'Run over' is the everyday verb; the formal version is report-like.
Pattern: run over + object
In use
- The driver didn't see the cat and accidentally ran over it.daily life
- Last year, my friend was almost run over by a car while crossing the street, so now she's much more careful.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ He was run over from a car.
✓ He was run over by a car.
In the passive, use 'run over BY' — not 'from'.
Common collocations
run over + victim— a fox, a pedestrian, the dog, by a car
Don't confuse it
'Run into' means to crash into something, but 'run over' means the vehicle passes over it.
Related
- run over (repeat or explain quickly) — Another meaning of 'run over' is 'repeat or explain quickly'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.