hit-and-run

1 of 3

adjective

ˌhit-ᵊn-ˈrən 

1

: being or relating to a hit-and-run in baseball

2

: being or involving a motor-vehicle driver who does not stop after being involved in an accident

3

: involving or intended for quick specific action or results

a hit-and-run raid

hit-and-run

2 of 3

noun

: a baseball play calling for a runner on first to begin running as a pitch is delivered and for the batter to attempt to hit the pitch

hit-and-run

3 of 3

verb

hit-and-ran; hitting-and-running; hit-and-runs

intransitive verb

: to execute a hit-and-run play in baseball

Examples of hit-and-run in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The Florida Highway Patrol is searching for a suspect after a hit-and-run crash in Orange County. —Garfield Hylton, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 May 2025

An elderly man was mowed down and killed by a hit-and-run driver in Brooklyn on May 10 — just seconds after the same driver smashed into a nearby vehicle, cops said Wednesday. —Nicholas Williams, New York Daily News, 15 May 2025

Verb

Daniels also pleaded guilty to destruction of property, hit-and-run and reckless driving charges connected to the March 22, 2021, crash at the Verizon store in the Potomac Yard neighborhood. —Salvador Rizzo, Washington Post, 25 Mar. 2023

Although it was initially dubbed a hit-and-run, the evidence never sat well with state investigators or the Smith family. —Michael Ruiz, Fox News, 24 Mar. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1899, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1904, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1966, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for hit-and-run

• anyone
• everyone
• megaton
• overdone
• overrun
• povidone
• trazodone
• begun
• grandson
• gudrun
• handgun
• homespun

Kids Definition

hit-and-run

adjective

-ˈrən

1

: being or involving a motor-vehicle driver who does not stop after having an accident

2

: involving or intended for quick action or results

Legal Definition

hit-and-run

adjective

1

: having left the scene of a motor vehicle accident without stopping to fulfill the duties imposed by law (as rendering aid or giving identification)

a hit-and-run driver

2

: involving or concerning a hit-and-run driver

a hit-and-run accident

hit-and-run statutes