run·away
ˈrə-nə-ˌwā 
1
: one that runs away from danger, duty, or restraint : fugitive
2
: the act of running away out of control
also
: something (such as a horse) that is running out of control
3
: a one-sided or overwhelming victory
1
a
: running away : fugitive
b
: leaving to gain special advantages (such as lower wages) or avoid disadvantages (such as governmental or union restrictions)
runaway shipping firms
a runaway shop
2
: accomplished by elopement or during flight
3
: won by or having a long lead
a runaway success
also
: extremely successful
a runaway bestseller
4
: subject to uncontrolled changes
runaway inflation
5
: being or operating out of control
a runaway oil well
a runaway nuclear reactor
ran away; run away; running away; runs away
1
a
: to leave quickly in order to avoid or escape something
b
: to leave home
especially
: elope
3
: to gain a substantial lead : win by a large margin
see also run away with
Synonyms
Examples of runaway in a Sentence
Adjective
The play was a runaway success.
a region plagued by runaway suburban sprawl
Verb
ran away from an unhappy marriage
the child runs away from large dogs
Recent Examples on the Web
Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2023
Heat generated from a fire, thermal runaway of an adjacent cell, or shorting of the battery can melt the porous membrane between the battery’s cathode and anode, causing this cell to go into thermal runaway.
—Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, 1 Sep. 2023
Our children are classified as runaways and runaways does not meet the criteria to initiate an Amber Alert.
—Abc News, ABC News, 3 May 2023
But with such a short runaway for his takeoff into the 2023 campaign, how much will Jacobs play during Sunday’s season-opener?
—Mark Inabinett | Minabinett@al.com, al, 9 Sep. 2023
There is no other realm where retirees and runaways, ex-felons and vets, members of rival gangs all share a roughly 10-yard by 3-yard space for days on end in cases.
—Time, 4 July 2023
In the face of alarming statistics linking teenage runaways to human trafficking, Talcove is gearing up for a 320-mile journey from Maine to his hometown of Boston, Massachusetts — what’s being called The Ultra Ride.
—Hilary Tetenbaum, USA TODAY, 15 Aug. 2023
Ads featuring runaways bought by southern enslavers were the most common form of newspaper revenue in the nation, according to historian Khalil Gibran Muhammad.
—Stanley Nelson, ABC News, 10 Aug. 2023
The driver was eighteen-year-old Amelia Shephard from Truro, Nova Scotia, a chronic runaway escaping her parent’s messy, endless divorce.
—Hazlitt, 7 June 2023
Anna Cooban, CNN, 23 Sep. 2023
Here, the voice that powered Priests’ punk attack is now engulfed in sonic collages where elements accumulate and disintegrate in wall-of-sound songs with the propulsion and danger of a runaway train.
—Chris Kelly, Washington Post, 20 Sep. 2023
The runaway inflation conversely means restaurants in the capital are packed, because there’s no point in saving when a paycheck loses purchasing power every month.
—Almuneda Calatrava, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Sep. 2023
The Monday indictment brings the total charges Trump is facing from all four cases up to 91 -- but Republicans actively working to keep Trump from winning the nomination appeared to be talking about a runaway train, referencing the gains the former president enjoyed after previous indictments.
—Tal Axelrod, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2023
Large and unpredictable, like a runaway driverless car—and similarly at risk of bursting into flames.
—Adam Morganstern, Robb Report, 17 Sep. 2023
The biggest question heading into what should be a runaway Utah win is whether quarterback Cam Rising is finally ready to make his season debut.
—Joe Freeman, oregonlive, 15 Sep. 2023
Dallas scored the final four goals of the game, from four different players, in the third period, turning a one-goal deficit into a three-goal runaway win.
—Sportsday Staff, Dallas News, 15 Sep. 2023
The runaway hype of the preseason is about to give way the cold reality of Week 1 in the NFL.
—Usa Today Sports, USA TODAY, 10 Sep. 2023
Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 9 Sep. 2023
Look for a big day from Trevor Lawrence. Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News: Jaguars 27-20
The Jaguars should run away with the AFC South after rolling through the second half and getting into the divisional playoffs.
—Scott Horner, The Indianapolis Star, 7 Sep. 2023
After coming out and moving/running away, this has only been exacerbated.
—Sahaj Kaur Kohli, Washington Post, 7 Sep. 2023
Also, do not run away as this may trigger them to chase you and/or your dog.
—Adam Sennott, BostonGlobe.com, 1 Sep. 2023
As other parents called 911 and off-duty first responders tended to Villanueva, the man accused of attacking him ran away.
—Steve Gardner, USA TODAY, 30 Aug. 2023
Police said Hampton had been trying to clear the jammed round from his gun while running away.
—Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Aug. 2023
The gunmen ran away, apparently having stolen nothing.
—Liam Quinn, Peoplemag, 24 Aug. 2023
People in the video are also seen running away from the buildings.
—Itzel Luna, USA TODAY, 28 Aug. 2023
See More
Noun
There was one area in which Moore won in a runaway: points per drive.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2023
Heat generated from a fire, thermal runaway of an adjacent cell, or shorting of the battery can melt the porous membrane between the battery’s cathode and anode, causing this cell to go into thermal runaway.
—Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, 1 Sep. 2023
Our children are classified as runaways and runaways does not meet the criteria to initiate an Amber Alert.
—Abc News, ABC News, 3 May 2023
But with such a short runaway for his takeoff into the 2023 campaign, how much will Jacobs play during Sunday’s season-opener?
—Mark Inabinett | Minabinett@al.com, al, 9 Sep. 2023
There is no other realm where retirees and runaways, ex-felons and vets, members of rival gangs all share a roughly 10-yard by 3-yard space for days on end in cases.
—Time, 4 July 2023
In the face of alarming statistics linking teenage runaways to human trafficking, Talcove is gearing up for a 320-mile journey from Maine to his hometown of Boston, Massachusetts — what’s being called The Ultra Ride.
—Hilary Tetenbaum, USA TODAY, 15 Aug. 2023
Ads featuring runaways bought by southern enslavers were the most common form of newspaper revenue in the nation, according to historian Khalil Gibran Muhammad.
—Stanley Nelson, ABC News, 10 Aug. 2023
The driver was eighteen-year-old Amelia Shephard from Truro, Nova Scotia, a chronic runaway escaping her parent’s messy, endless divorce.
—Hazlitt, 7 June 2023
Adjective
That runaway growth far exceeds both inflation and pay raises in the United Kingdom.
—Anna Cooban, CNN, 23 Sep. 2023
Here, the voice that powered Priests’ punk attack is now engulfed in sonic collages where elements accumulate and disintegrate in wall-of-sound songs with the propulsion and danger of a runaway train.
—Chris Kelly, Washington Post, 20 Sep. 2023
The runaway inflation conversely means restaurants in the capital are packed, because there’s no point in saving when a paycheck loses purchasing power every month.
—Almuneda Calatrava, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Sep. 2023
The Monday indictment brings the total charges Trump is facing from all four cases up to 91 -- but Republicans actively working to keep Trump from winning the nomination appeared to be talking about a runaway train, referencing the gains the former president enjoyed after previous indictments.
—Tal Axelrod, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2023
Large and unpredictable, like a runaway driverless car—and similarly at risk of bursting into flames.
—Adam Morganstern, Robb Report, 17 Sep. 2023
The biggest question heading into what should be a runaway Utah win is whether quarterback Cam Rising is finally ready to make his season debut.
—Joe Freeman, oregonlive, 15 Sep. 2023
Dallas scored the final four goals of the game, from four different players, in the third period, turning a one-goal deficit into a three-goal runaway win.
—Sportsday Staff, Dallas News, 15 Sep. 2023
The runaway hype of the preseason is about to give way the cold reality of Week 1 in the NFL.
—Usa Today Sports, USA TODAY, 10 Sep. 2023
Verb
The film is a coming of age following a high school student (Talia Ryder) who runs away while on a school trip and hits the road.
—Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 9 Sep. 2023
Look for a big day from Trevor Lawrence. Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News: Jaguars 27-20
The Jaguars should run away with the AFC South after rolling through the second half and getting into the divisional playoffs.
—Scott Horner, The Indianapolis Star, 7 Sep. 2023
After coming out and moving/running away, this has only been exacerbated.
—Sahaj Kaur Kohli, Washington Post, 7 Sep. 2023
Also, do not run away as this may trigger them to chase you and/or your dog.
—Adam Sennott, BostonGlobe.com, 1 Sep. 2023
As other parents called 911 and off-duty first responders tended to Villanueva, the man accused of attacking him ran away.
—Steve Gardner, USA TODAY, 30 Aug. 2023
Police said Hampton had been trying to clear the jammed round from his gun while running away.
—Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Aug. 2023
The gunmen ran away, apparently having stolen nothing.
—Liam Quinn, Peoplemag, 24 Aug. 2023
People in the video are also seen running away from the buildings.
—Itzel Luna, USA TODAY, 28 Aug. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'runaway.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Dictionary Entries Near runaway
Cite this Entry
“Runaway.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/runaway. Accessed 26 Sep. 2023.
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Kids Definition
runaway
1 of 3 noun
run·away
ˈrən-ə-ˌwā
1
: a person who runs away : fugitive
2
: the act of running away out of control
also
: something (as a horse) that is running out of control
runaway
2 of 3 adjective1
: running away : fugitive
2
: being out of control
run away
3 of 3 verbˌrən-ə-ˈwā
1
: to leave in a hurry especially to escape from danger or confinement
2
: to leave home
More from Merriam-Webster on runaway
Nglish: Translation of runaway for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of runaway for Arabic Speakers
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