run out

verb

ran out; run out; running out; runs out

intransitive verb

1

a

: to come to an end : expire

time ran out

b

: to become exhausted or used up

the gasoline ran out

2

: to jut out

transitive verb

1

a

: to finish out (a course, a series, a contest, etc.) : complete

b

of a baseball batter : to run hard to first base after hitting (a batted ball)

ran out the grounder

2

a

: to fill out (a typeset line) with quads, leaders, or ornaments

b

: to set (a line of text, such as the first line of a paragraph) with a hanging indention

3

: to exhaust (oneself) in running

4

: to cause to leave by force or coercion : expel

see also run out of, run out on

Examples of run out in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But those funds have since run out, and pantries are once again relying on community support to meet what has become a steady demand. —Karen Morfitt, CBS News, 10 Jan. 2026

But time is running out before Sunday’s deadline to announce the team. —Dave Skretta, Baltimore Sun, 10 Jan. 2026

And there was a strange preoccupation with running out of time, even though the show ended a good 15 minutes early as if the performers didn’t understand their own timeline. —Matthew J. Palm, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2026

New York will run out of funds for temporary assistance for low-income families by the end of the month, unless the suspension in aid is reversed, a rep for the governor’s office said earlier this week. —Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 9 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Rhymes for run out

• about
• bailout
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout
• checkout
• closeout
• cutout
• devout
• dropout

Kids Definition

run out

verb

1

: to come to an end : expire

time ran out before we could tie the game

2

: to become exhausted or used up

our supplies were running out