run away

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 run away

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

Examples of run away in a Sentence

ran away from an unhappy marriage

the child runs away from large dogs

Recent Examples on the Web

That's when O'Flaherty ran away through a window. —Tammy Mutasa, CBS News, 6 June 2026

San Diego is only 1/2 game out of a Wild Card spot, but, like the Mets, the Padres are in a division where one team is running away with things (the Los Angeles Dodgers) and another is emerging as a contender in the NL (the Arizona Diamondbacks). —Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 5 June 2026

The team is running away with the National League East. —Gabriel Burns, AJC.com, 4 June 2026

Instead, the four-time French Open champion ran away with the set, ultimately double-bageling Anisimova to win her maiden Wimbledon title. —Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 4 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

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

Rhymes for run away

• 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