runoff

1 of 2

noun

run·​off ˈrən-ˌȯf 

1

: a final race, contest, or election to decide an earlier one that has not resulted in a decision in favor of any one competitor

2

: the portion of precipitation on land that ultimately reaches streams often with dissolved or suspended material

run off

2 of 2

verb

ran off; run off; running off; runs off

transitive verb

1

a

: to recite, compose, or produce rapidly

b

: to cause to be run or played to a finish

c

: to decide (a race) by a runoff

d

: carry out

2

: to drain off : draw off

3

a

: to drive off (someone, such as a trespasser)

b

: to steal (animals, such as cattle) by driving away

intransitive verb

: run away sense 1

see also run off with

Synonyms

Verb

• banish
• boot (out)
• bounce
• cast out
• chase
• dismiss
• drum (out)
• eject
• expel
• extrude
• kick out
• oust
• out
• rout
• throw out
• turf (out) [chiefly British]
• turn out

Examples of runoff in a Sentence

Verb

the dog often ran off cats and other animals that had intruded upon his owner's property

their rebellious daughter's run off because she was disciplined again

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Wilders’ decision comes days after conservative Karol Nawrocki was announced the winner of Poland’s weekend presidential runoff election, a victory that suggests that Poland will likely take a more populist and nationalist path under its new president, who was backed by President Trump. —Mike Corder, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2025

Karol Nawrocki, presidential candidate for the Law and Justice Party, following the Polish presidential runoff election on June 1, 2025, in Warsaw, Poland. —Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 June 2025

Verb

And the opening two stories of my collection, Survival Tips, are set in high school, the first about a teenager whose best friend’s father runs off with one of his community college students, the second a new teacher who faces a particularly daunting parent conference. —Miriam Gershow june 9, Literary Hub, 9 June 2025

In the main, these rough and ready fanzines — literally a blend of ‘fan’ and ‘magazine’ — looked to have been run off on the office photocopier when the boss wasn’t looking. —Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 7 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1867, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Verb

1680, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Rhymes for runoff

• ashraf
• checkoff
• cutoff
• falloff
• handoff
• kickoff
• layoff
• liftoff
• markoff
• markov
• payoff
• playoff

Kids Definition

runoff

1 of 2 noun

run·​off ˈrən-ˌȯf 

1

: a final contest or election to decide an earlier one that has not given the victory to one competitor

2

: water from rain or snow that flows over the surface of the ground and finally into streams

run off

2 of 2 verb

ˈrən-ˈȯf,

ˌrən-

1

: to produce rapidly

2

: to decide by a runoff

3

: to drive away

4

: run away sense 1