1
British
: the final part of a race or racetrack
2
3
: something inserted as a substantial addition in copy or typeset matter
ran in; run in; running in; runs in
1
a
: to insert as additional matter
b
: to make (typeset matter) continuous without a paragraph or other break
2
: to arrest for a usually minor offense
3
chiefly British
: to break in (a new machine) gradually by careful operation
: to pay a casual visit
Examples of run-in in a Sentence
Noun
the rival gangs had a bit of a run-in last night
Verb
I just thought I'd run in and pick up my package.
if we catch you shoplifting again, we're going to run you in
Recent Examples on the Web
Andrew R. Chow, Time, 14 Oct. 2025
Wingtech has had run-ins before with other Western governments over its operations, with Britain ordering it to divest ownership of a facility in Newport.
—CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2025
Ni Tao, Interesting Engineering, 21 Oct. 2025
The streetcar has been running in its current form since 1914.
—Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for run-in
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Noun
He was also injured in a car crash, had run-ins with the law, and drifted in and out of rehab.
—Andrew R. Chow, Time, 14 Oct. 2025
Wingtech has had run-ins before with other Western governments over its operations, with Britain ordering it to divest ownership of a facility in Newport.
—CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2025
Verb
From playing catch-up to running in parallel Despite early limitations in solver speed, mesh handling, and model stability, Duan states that cloud-native architectures and AI now give Chinese CAE firms a rare opportunity to turn the tables on industry leaders.
—Ni Tao, Interesting Engineering, 21 Oct. 2025
The streetcar has been running in its current form since 1914.
—Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for run-in
Cite this Entry
“Run-in.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/run-in. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.
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