runway

noun

run·​way ˈrən-ˌwā 

1

a

: a beaten path made by animals

b

: a passageway for animals

2

: a paved strip of ground on a landing field for the landing and takeoff of aircraft

3

a

: a narrow platform from a stage into an auditorium

b

: a platform along which models walk in a fashion show

4

: run sense 10b

5

: the area or path along which a jumper, pole-vaulter, or javelin thrower runs

Examples of runway in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Max Mara’s Griffiths noted that fashion professionals who attend runway shows end up seeing clothes mostly from the side. —Miles Socha, Footwear News, 7 Nov. 2025

The plane, an MD-11, lifted off the runway and gained enough altitude to clear a fence at the end of the runway, Inman said during a previous news conference. —Ray Padilla, Louisville Courier Journal, 7 Nov. 2025

Fedex, a high-volume user of the Indianapolis airport's runways, said the package company was monitoring flight capacity restrictions and would adjust operations to ensure vital shipments are delivered. —Alysa Guffey, IndyStar, 7 Nov. 2025

Planes that have been inspected and fuelled are now sitting idly on runways. —The New Yorker, New Yorker, 7 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1828, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for runway

• airway
• allay
• archway
• array
• ashtray
• astray
• aue
• away
• ballet
• belay
• beltway
• beret

Kids Definition

runway

noun

run·​way ˈrən-ˌwā 

1

: run entry 2 sense 9a

2

: a paved strip of ground (as at an airport) for the landing and takeoff of aircraft

3

: a support (as a track, pipe, or trough) on which something runs