runaway

1 of 3

noun

run·​away ˈrə-nə-ˌwā 

1

: one that runs away from danger, duty, or restraint : fugitive

especially : a child who leaves home without permission

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

runaway

2 of 3

adjective

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

run away

3 of 3

verb

ran away; run away; running away; runs away

intransitive verb

1

a

: to leave quickly in order to avoid or escape something

b

: to leave home

specifically : elope

2

: to run out of control : stampede, bolt

3

: to gain a substantial lead : win by a large margin

see also:

run away with

Synonyms of runaway

Adjective

• rampant
• uncontrolled

Verb

• escape
• flee
• run off
• fly
• get out

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

Noun

In The Runaway, Rockwell illustrated a runaway at a diner getting help from a police officer. — Rakesh Agrawal, PC Magazine, 21 Sep. 2026

Gen 4 is also designed to add an Active Safety Mechanism intended to prevent thermal runaway by stabilizing electrode active materials at high temperatures. — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2026

Adjective

Though its presence on landscape televisions seems counterintuitive, Shorts has been a runaway hit in the living room, with viewers watching more than 2 billion hours of its programming on TVs each month. — Dade Hayes, Deadline, 23 Sep. 2026

Nvidia is a runaway leader, and that’s not a coincidence given where the article is headed. — Todd Gordon, CNBC, 22 Sep. 2026

Verb

One of the most notable moments — and the scene apparently being filmed — was a sequence of shots showing the three bandmembers running away from swarps of adoring fans. — Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 20 Sep. 2026

One of the deputies opened fire, and the dogs ran away, Choon said, adding the sheriff’s office does not know if any of the dogs were shot. — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 18 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1534, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1548, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for runaway

• aaa
• alleyway
• alumnae
• anime
• anyway
• arete
• attache
• axillae
• baa
• beaujolais
• bouvier
• breakaway

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 adjective

1

: running away : fugitive

2

: being out of control

run away

3 of 3 verb

ˌrən-ə-ˈwā

1

: to leave in a hurry especially to escape from danger or confinement

2

: to leave home