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Business English vocabulary · Deadlines and Scheduling

Overrun

Meaning in business english, with examples

verbCommon term

In business english, overrun means: To continue beyond an allocated time or exceed a planned amount.

In Turkish: ayrılan süreyi aşmak, planlanan miktarı aşmak

How it is used

Used for meetings, activities and budgets. With time, it refers to exceeding the allocation, which can happen even when an activity starts punctually.

Example sentences

  1. The interviews may overrun if each candidate asks several questions at the end.

    Additional discussion lengthens the interviews beyond their planned slots.

  2. We cannot overrun the room booking because another team needs the space at two.

    The next booking makes extra meeting time unavailable even if discussion remains unfinished.

Common collocations

  • overrun the allotted time
  • overrun the budget
  • running lateBehind the planned time, so you will arrive or finish later than expected; used about people, meetings and schedules.
  • budget varianceThe difference between the amount planned in a budget and the amount actually spent or earned.

More terms: Deadlines and Scheduling

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