verb
overrun
To invade and take control by force.
Enemy troops overrun the border town and seize its airport.
Etymology
Overrun combines over with run. The image of movement spreading across an area becomes the military sense of sweeping through and taking control of it.
More examples
- The invading army overran the fort before dawn.
- Rebel fighters have overrun the military base.
- The defenders retreat as enemy forces overrun their positions.
Forms
overrun · overruns · overran · overrunning