run·down
ˈrən-ˌdau̇n 
1
: an item-by-item report or review : summary
2
: a play in baseball in which a base runner who is caught off base is chased by two or more opposing players who throw the ball from one to another in an attempt to tag the runner out
ran down; run down; running down; runs down
1
a
: to collide with and knock down
b
: to run against and cause to sink
2
a
: to chase to exhaustion or until captured
b
: to trace the source of
c
: to tag out (a base runner) between bases on a rundown
3
1
: to cease to operate because of the exhaustion of motive power
the clock ran down
2
: to decline in physical condition or vigor
Synonyms
Noun
- abstract
- breviary
- brief
- capsule
- conspectus
- digest
- encapsulation
- epitome
- inventory
- outline
- précis
- recap
- recapitulation
- résumé
- resume
- resumé
- roundup
- run-through
- sum
- sum-up
- summa
- summarization
- summary
- summing-up
- synopsis
- wrap-up
Adjective
- beat-up
- bombed-out
- dilapidated
- dog-eared
- down-at-the-heels
- down-at-heel
- down-at-the-heel
- down-at-heels
- dumpy
- grungy
- mangy
- mean
- miserable
- moth-eaten
- neglected
- ratty
- scrubby
- scruffy
- seedy
- shabby
- sleazy
- tacky
- tatterdemalion
- tatty
- threadbare
- timeworn
- tumbledown
Verb
Examples of rundown in a Sentence
Noun
They gave us a rundown on the main points of the news.
a rundown of our public services
He was caught in a rundown.
Verb
finally ran down the answer after hours of research
constantly running down the city's cultural life won't do anything to improve it
Recent Examples on the Web
Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2024
The rundown property where Horace made his fortune can be toured today, though visitors are prohibited from entering the mine shaft.
—Jenna Thompson, Kansas City Star, 5 Apr. 2024
This rundown covers the key events that led to NBC’s quick reversal.
—Sarah Whitmire, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
If rundown’s identities are multiple, its origins, too, cannot quite be pinned down.
—Ligaya Mishan, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2024
Newsom’s administration has already spent at least $22 billion on various programs to address the crisis, including $3.5 billion to convert rundown motels into homeless housing.
—Trân Nguyễn, Fortune, 21 Mar. 2024
Here's a rundown of what to know about the first-of-its-kind program in Wayne County:
How the program works
Since 2014, RIP has relieved more than $10.4 billion in medical debt for 7 million families.
—Nushrat Rahman, Detroit Free Press, 13 Mar. 2024
Welcome to our weekly rundown of the best new music — featuring big new singles, key tracks from our favorite albums, and more.
—Rolling Stone, 29 Mar. 2024
Here’s a rundown of the players to watch, potential Cinderella teams and game previews for every region in the 2024 NCAA men’s basketball tournament.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2024
Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 5 Apr. 2024
Take Shoreditch in east London as an example: Decades ago, developers deemed it a run-down industrial area.
—Isabella Kwai, New York Times, 31 Mar. 2024
Until, that is, its restaurants started to get run-down and the menu didn’t adapt to the times.
—Gary Stern, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
Looking back at him, across the city’s run-down high-rises, was the looming statue of Christ the Redeemer.
—Max Bearak, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2024
The symptoms of measles generally appear about seven to 21 days after exposure and include a high fever, cough, runny nose, blotchy rash, feeling run-down or achy and red, watery eyes.
—The Arizona Republic, 12 Mar. 2024
Torres Soto’s TikTok post about one run-down bathroom at her school resonated with students at other schools.
—Nicole Acevedo, NBC News, 29 Feb. 2024
Some stately churches that house Black congregations stand virtually empty even on Sundays, while Latino evangelicals pack run-down storefronts.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2024
Drug use surged, and the place grew unsafe and run-down.
—Penelope Green, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2024
Brenton Blanchet, Peoplemag, 13 Apr. 2024
Denny Hamlin runs down Chase Elliott and takes the race lead!
—Shane Connuck, Charlotte Observer, 7 Apr. 2024
Now someone has to run down in the elevator to get it.
—Thomas Germain / Gizmodo, Quartz, 1 Apr. 2024
Auburn’s starting wing was assessed a Flagrant 2 foul and ejected minutes into Auburn’s game against Yale for firing an elbow into the chest of August Mahoney while running down the sideline.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Mar. 2024
But in reality, the timing and techniques required to achieve a clean run down the quarter-mile stretch require a copious amount of practice.
—Michael Van Runkle, Robb Report, 3 Apr. 2024
There are several allergy symptoms to be aware of, Parikh says, including:
Nasal congestion
Runny nose
Sneezing
Itchy eyes
Coughing
The Cleveland Clinic says allergies can cause a sore throat due to postnasal drip, which is when discharge from your nose runs down the back of your throat.
—Sara Moniuszko, CBS News, 1 Apr. 2024
The anti-Trump tent is a big one, and the F-word came to be seen as a dividing line running down the middle.
—Andrew Marantz, The New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2024
Griffin also shared photos of herself running down the aisle of a plane while wearing a white lace bra on Instagram.
—Stephanie Wenger, Peoplemag, 22 Mar. 2024
Noun
Before even being officially introduced — that would come the following morning — Snell sought out Martinez and pulled him aside for a 15-20 minute rundown in the dugout during the game that night.
—Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2024
The rundown property where Horace made his fortune can be toured today, though visitors are prohibited from entering the mine shaft.
—Jenna Thompson, Kansas City Star, 5 Apr. 2024
This rundown covers the key events that led to NBC’s quick reversal.
—Sarah Whitmire, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
If rundown’s identities are multiple, its origins, too, cannot quite be pinned down.
—Ligaya Mishan, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2024
Newsom’s administration has already spent at least $22 billion on various programs to address the crisis, including $3.5 billion to convert rundown motels into homeless housing.
—Trân Nguyễn, Fortune, 21 Mar. 2024
Here's a rundown of what to know about the first-of-its-kind program in Wayne County:
How the program works
Since 2014, RIP has relieved more than $10.4 billion in medical debt for 7 million families.
—Nushrat Rahman, Detroit Free Press, 13 Mar. 2024
Welcome to our weekly rundown of the best new music — featuring big new singles, key tracks from our favorite albums, and more.
—Rolling Stone, 29 Mar. 2024
Here’s a rundown of the players to watch, potential Cinderella teams and game previews for every region in the 2024 NCAA men’s basketball tournament.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2024
Adjective
Every week, Pitchfork offers a run-down of significant new releases available on streaming services.
—Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 5 Apr. 2024
Take Shoreditch in east London as an example: Decades ago, developers deemed it a run-down industrial area.
—Isabella Kwai, New York Times, 31 Mar. 2024
Until, that is, its restaurants started to get run-down and the menu didn’t adapt to the times.
—Gary Stern, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
Looking back at him, across the city’s run-down high-rises, was the looming statue of Christ the Redeemer.
—Max Bearak, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2024
The symptoms of measles generally appear about seven to 21 days after exposure and include a high fever, cough, runny nose, blotchy rash, feeling run-down or achy and red, watery eyes.
—The Arizona Republic, 12 Mar. 2024
Torres Soto’s TikTok post about one run-down bathroom at her school resonated with students at other schools.
—Nicole Acevedo, NBC News, 29 Feb. 2024
Some stately churches that house Black congregations stand virtually empty even on Sundays, while Latino evangelicals pack run-down storefronts.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2024
Drug use surged, and the place grew unsafe and run-down.
—Penelope Green, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2024
Verb
In the footage of the game-winning shot, the 8-year-old son of Kardashian, 43, and Kanye West ran down the court before his teammate tossed him the ball at the three-point line.
—Brenton Blanchet, Peoplemag, 13 Apr. 2024
Denny Hamlin runs down Chase Elliott and takes the race lead!
—Shane Connuck, Charlotte Observer, 7 Apr. 2024
Now someone has to run down in the elevator to get it.
—Thomas Germain / Gizmodo, Quartz, 1 Apr. 2024
Auburn’s starting wing was assessed a Flagrant 2 foul and ejected minutes into Auburn’s game against Yale for firing an elbow into the chest of August Mahoney while running down the sideline.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Mar. 2024
But in reality, the timing and techniques required to achieve a clean run down the quarter-mile stretch require a copious amount of practice.
—Michael Van Runkle, Robb Report, 3 Apr. 2024
There are several allergy symptoms to be aware of, Parikh says, including:
Nasal congestion
Runny nose
Sneezing
Itchy eyes
Coughing
The Cleveland Clinic says allergies can cause a sore throat due to postnasal drip, which is when discharge from your nose runs down the back of your throat.
—Sara Moniuszko, CBS News, 1 Apr. 2024
The anti-Trump tent is a big one, and the F-word came to be seen as a dividing line running down the middle.
—Andrew Marantz, The New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2024
Griffin also shared photos of herself running down the aisle of a plane while wearing a white lace bra on Instagram.
—Stephanie Wenger, Peoplemag, 22 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rundown.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to rundown
Dictionary Entries Near rundown
Cite this Entry
“Rundown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rundown. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
rundown
1 of 3 noun
run·down
ˈrən-ˌdau̇n
: an item by item report : summary
run-down
2 of 3 adjectiveˈrən-ˈdau̇n
1
: being in poor condition
a run-down farm
2
: being in or indicating poor health
that run-down feeling
run down
3 of 3 verbˈrən-ˈdau̇n
1
: to collide with and knock down
2
a
: to chase until exhausted or captured
b
: to find by search : trace the source of
3
: to stop operating because of the exhaustion of an energy source
the battery ran down
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