overrun

To spread through or fill a place in large numbers, often causing problems.

• Weeds overrun the garden every summer.
• Rats had overrun the empty building.
• The town is overrun with visitors during the festival.

How to use it: be overrun with something (The garden was overrun with weeds.); be overrun by someone/something (The village was overrun by tourists.)

Similar words: infest, swarm over, invade

Common phrases: overrun a garden, overrun a city, overrun with something

To go beyond an agreed amount of time or money.

• The project may overrun its budget.
• Building costs overran the original estimate.
• The work has overrun the agreed schedule.

How to use it: overrun by an amount (The project overran by two million pounds.)

Similar words: exceed, go beyond

Common phrases: overrun a budget, overrun the schedule, overrun by something, meeting may overrun

To move or reach beyond an edge, support, or other physical limit.

• The sliding part can overrun its bearing.
• The shaft overran its support during the test.
• A safety stop prevents the carriage from overrunning the track.

Similar words: extend beyond, go beyond

Common phrases: overrun a bearing, overrun the edge

An amount or instance of going beyond a planned limit, especially in time or cost.

• The project had a cost overrun.
• We need to explain the budget overrun.
• Repeated time overruns delayed the opening of the railway.

Similar words: excess

Common phrases: cost overrun, budget overrun, time overrun

A clear, flat area past a runway’s end where a plane can stop if it goes too far.

• The plane stopped in the overrun.
• Workers cleared stones from the grass overrun.
• The runway has a wide overrun beyond its eastern end.

Similar words: overrun area

Common phrases: runway overrun, grass overrun, clear overrun