runway

noun

run·​way ˈrən-ˌwā 

1

a

: a beaten path made by animals

b

: a passageway for animals

2

: a paved strip of ground on a landing field for the landing and takeoff of aircraft

3

a

: a narrow platform from a stage into an auditorium

b

: a platform along which models walk in a fashion show

4

: run sense 10b

5

: the area or path along which a jumper, pole-vaulter, or javelin thrower runs

Examples of runway in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Paris Fashion Week wrapped on Tuesday, putting a bow on a whirlwind four weeks of runway shows across New York, London, Milan, and Paris. —José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 14 Mar. 2026

And yes, because we are blessed with famous weather, whole neighborhoods and districts can risk spilling out into the sidewalks, where laughs get louder, music gets blasted and the street fashion becomes a runway. —Elisa Wouk Almino editor, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2026

The finding has the potential to provide a longer runway to make the lifestyle changes that can help reduce risk, and could be used to better identify subjects who could benefit from participating in clinical trials seeking to prevent or treat neurodegenerative disease. —Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Mar. 2026

For designer Rebecca Minkoff, the roots of her career didn’t begin on a runway or inside a fashion studio. —Casey Delbasso, ABC News, 12 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1828, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for runway

• airway
• allay
• archway
• array
• ashtray
• astray
• aue
• away
• ballet
• belay
• beltway
• beret

Kids Definition

runway

noun

run·​way ˈrən-ˌwā 

1

: run entry 2 sense 9a

2

: a paved strip of ground (as at an airport) for the landing and takeoff of aircraft

3

: a support (as a track, pipe, or trough) on which something runs