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

In December 2017, when Beckham was running out of options, the Mas brothers came to the rescue and joined Beckham’s investor group after their deal to buy the Marlins fell through. —Miami Herald, 28 Mar. 2026

The world will hit an oil cliff in mid-April, in Papic’s estimation, because supplies from the strategic petroleum reserve as well as Russian and Iranian oil exempted from sanctions will run out. —Matt Peterson, CNBC, 28 Mar. 2026

With the ideological fervor of the Islamic Revolution having run out and the clerical establishment delegitimized, true power now lies with the Guard. —Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 28 Mar. 2026

Bay Area Rapid Transit expects to run out of the state and federal emergency funds provided by its lawmakers during the COVID-19 pandemic. —Lilly Kersh, Dallas Morning News, 28 Mar. 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