Meaning trap
run over
hit with a vehicle
To hit and drive over someone or something with a vehicle, usually by accident.
Don't mix these meanings
Same phrase, different job.
To hit and drive over someone or something with a vehicle, usually by accident.
Another meaning of 'run over' is 'repeat or explain quickly'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.
Hear it in context
Notice where the phrase sounds natural.
The driver didn't see the cat and accidentally ran over it.
Last year, my friend was almost run over by a car while crossing the street, so now she's much more careful.
Fix the pattern
One small grammar move makes it sound right.
Not: He was run over from a car.
Say: He was run over by a car.
In the passive, use 'run over BY' — not 'from'.
Which sounds natural?
Tap the one a native speaker would say.
'Run over' is the everyday verb; the formal version is report-like.
Build natural chunks
Words that usually travel with it.
run over + victim
- a fox
- a pedestrian
- the dog
- by a car
Don't confuse it
Related
Other meanings and phrases to compare.
- run over (repeat or explain quickly) — Another meaning of 'run over' is 'repeat or explain quickly'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.