run
verb (used without object), ran, run, run·ning.
- to take part in a race or contest.
- to finish in a race or contest in a certain numerical position: The horse ran second.
- to accumulate, follow, or become payable in due course, as interest on a debt: Your interest runs from January 1st to December 31st.
- to make many withdrawals in rapid succession, as from a bank.
- to have legal force or effect, as a writ.
- to continue to operate.
- to go along with: The easement runs with the land.
verb (used with object), ran, run, run·ning.
noun
- bomb run.
- any portion of a military flight during which the aircraft flies directly toward the target in order to begin its attack: a strafing run.
- the rapid movement, under its own power, of an aircraft on a runway, water, or another surface.
- a routine flight from one place to another: the evening run from New York to London.
- the horizontal distance between the face of a wall and the ridge of a roof.
- the distance between the first and last risers of a flight of steps or staircase.
- the horizontal distance between successive risers on a flight of steps or a staircase.
adjective
Verb Phrases
- to follow; chase: The dog ran after the burglar.
- to pursue or court the affections of, especially in an aggressive manner: He ran after her until she agreed to marry him.
- to attempt to become friendly with or part of the society of: He runs after the country-club set.
- (often followed by with) to socialize; consort with: She runs around with the strangest people.
- to be unfaithful to one's spouse or lover: It was common knowledge that he was running around.
- to flee or escape; leave a place of confinement or control with the intention of never returning: He ran away from home three times.
- Nautical. to haul on a line by walking or running steadily.
- to go away with, especially to elope with: She ran away with a sailor.
- to abscond with; steal: to run away with some valuable jewelry.
- to surpass others in; be outstanding in: to run away with academic honors.
- to overwhelm; get the better of: Sometimes his enthusiasm runs away with him.
- to strike and fell or overturn, especially to drive a vehicle into (someone): to run down an innocent pedestrian.
- to pursue until captured; chase: The detective swore that he would run down the criminal.
- to peruse; review: His eyes ran down the front row and stopped suddenly.
- to cease operation; stop: My watch has run down.
- to speak disparagingly of; criticize severely: The students were always running down their math teacher.
- to search out; trace; find: to run down information.
- Baseball. to tag out (a base runner) between bases.
- Nautical. to collide with and sink (another vessel).
- Nautical. to sail closely parallel to (a coast).
- to visit casually: If I'm in the neighborhood, I may run in for a few minutes.
- to include in a text, as something to be inserted.
- Slang. to arrest; take to jail: They ran him in for burglary.
- Printing. to add (matter) to text without indenting.
- to break in (new machinery).
- to crash into; collide with: She was so sleepy that she ran into a lamppost.
- to meet accidentally: You never know whom you'll run into at a big party.
- to amount to; total: losses that ran into millions of dollars.
- to succeed; follow: One year ran into the next, and still there was no change.
- to experience; encounter: The project ran into difficulty.
- to leave quickly; depart.
- to create or perform rapidly or easily: to run off a new song.
- to determine the winner of (a contest, race, etc.) by a runoff.
- to drive away; expel: to run someone off one's property.
- to print or otherwise duplicate: Please run off 500 copies.
- to abscond with (something); steal or borrow; take: He ran off with the money. Who ran off with the pencil sharpener?
- to elope: I hear she ran off with the Smith boy.
- to continue without interruption: The account that he gave ran on at some length.
- Printing. to add (matter) to text without indenting.
- to add something, as at the end of a text: to run on an adverb to a dictionary entry.
- to terminate; expire: My subscription ran out last month. Time ran out before we could score another touchdown.
- to become used up: His money soon ran out.
- to drive out; expel: They want to run him out of the country.
- to hit and knock down, especially with a vehicle: She cried inconsolably when her cat was run over by a car.
- to go beyond; exceed: His speech ran over the time limit.
- to repeat; review: We'll run over that song again.
- to overflow, as a vessel.
- to pierce or stab, as with a sword: to run someone through.
- to consume or use up recklessly; squander: to run through a fortune.
- to practice, review, or rehearse quickly or informally: to run through a scene.
- to sew rapidly: She ran up some curtains.
- to amass; incur: running up huge debts.
- to cause to increase; raise: to run up costs unnecessarily.
- to build, especially hurriedly: They are tearing down old tenement blocks and running up skyscrapers.
- to proceed or go ahead with: If the stockholders like the idea, we'll run with it.
- to carry out with enthusiasm or speed.
Idioms for run
- close or keen competition: The out-of-town team gave us a run for our money.
- enjoyment or profit in return for one's expense: This may not be the best tool kit, but it will give you a run for your money.
- moving quickly; hurrying about: He's so busy, he's always on the run.
- while running or in a hurry: I usually eat breakfast on the run.
- escaping or hiding from the police: He was on the run for two years.
- Nautical. to collide with so as to cause damage and entanglement.
- to incur or become subject to the wrath or ill will of: to run afoul of the law; He argued with his father and has run afoul of him ever since.
- to go through the motions of running without leaving one's original place.
- to exist or work without noticeable change, progress, or improvement.
- to exhaust or lose one's energy, enthusiasm, etc.: After the first game of tennis, I ran out of gas and had to rest.
- to falter for lack of impetus, ideas, capital, etc.: The economic recovery seems to be running out of gas.
Origin of run
OTHER WORDS FROM run
Words nearby run
Example sentences from the Web for run-up
Many of those gathering in the run-up to the grand jury decision wore hockey and tear gas masks to conceal their identity.
Justice Was Served in Ferguson—This Isn’t Jim Crow America |Ron Christie |November 25, 2014 |DAILY BEASTIn the run-up to Tuesday, the national media groaned with opinion columns expressing our love-hate relationship with voting.
What Republicans Need Right Now Is a Good Internal Fight |James Poulos |November 6, 2014 |DAILY BEASTThat happened under massive public pressure, led by the late New York City mayor Ed Koch, in the run-up to 2012.
Hate Hyper-Partisanship? Support Redistricting Reform Now |John Avlon |November 3, 2014 |DAILY BEASTEfforts at pooling resources began in the run-up to the 2012 presidential campaign.
Denison admits that he shrank from doing the project in the run-up to his birthday last year, when he had planned to start it.
The back of a book with a fillet from head to tail not mitred at the bands is said to be run-up.
Library Bookbinding |Arthur Low BaileyNow was the time he had judged the throat vane gyros should begin their run-up.
Far from Home |J.A. TaylorBefore there was time to think or dream, I landed very beautifully upon a ridge of run-up snow in a quiet corner.
Lorna Doone |R. D. Blackmore
British Dictionary definitions for run-up
verb runs, running, ran or run
- (of a two-legged creature) to move on foot at a rapid pace so that both feet are off the ground together for part of each stride
- (of a four-legged creature) to move at a rapid gait; gallop or canter
- to have legal force or effectthe lease runs for two more years
- to accompany; be an integral part of or adjunct toan easement runs with the land
- to melt or fuse
- (tr) to mould or cast (molten metal)to run lead into ingots
- to migrate upstream from the sea, esp in order to spawn
- to swim rapidly in any area of water, esp during migration
noun
- a period of time during which a machine, computer, etc, operates
- the amount of work performed in such a period
- a continuous vein or seam of ore, coal, etc
- the direction in which it lies
- a period during which water or other liquid flows
- the amount of such a flow
- the tack of a sailing vessel in which the wind comes from astern
- part of the hull of a vessel near the stern where it curves upwards and inwards
- a mission in a warplane
- short for bombing run
- a strong challenge or close competition
- pleasure derived from an activity
- escaping from arrest; fugitive
- in rapid flight; retreatingthe enemy is on the run
- hurrying from place to placeshe's always on the run
Word Origin for run
Idioms and Phrases with run-up
In addition to the idioms beginning with run
- run across
- run a fever
- run afoul of
- run after
- run against
- run along
- run amok
- run an errand
- run a risk
- run around
- run around in circles
- run around like a chicken
- run around with
- run a temperature
- run a tight ship
- run away
- run away with
- run by someone
- run circles around
- run counter to
- run down
- run dry
- run for it
- run for one's money, a
- run foul
- run high
- run in
- run in place
- run interference
- run in the blood
- run into
- run into a stone wall
- run into the ground
- run its course
- run like clockwork
- running on empty
- running start
- run off
- run off at the mouth
- run off with
- run of luck
- run of the mill
- run on
- run one ragged
- run one's eyes over
- run one's head against the wall
- run one's own show
- run out
- run out of
- run out on
- run over
- run rings around
- run riot
- run scared
- run short
- run someone in
- run someone off his or her feet
- run the gamut
- run the gauntlet
- run the show
- run through
- run to
- run to earth
- run to form
- run to seed
- run up
- run wild
- run with
also see:
- beat (run) one's head against the wall
- cut and run
- dry run
- eat and run
- end run
- go (run) around in circles
- great minds (run in the same channel)
- home run
- in the long run
- like clockwork, run
- make a break (run) for
- make one's blood run cold
- (run) off someone's feet
- on the run
- still waters run deep
- tight ship, run a
- well's run dry
Also see underrunning.