RAN AWAY Synonyms: 88 Similar and Opposite Words

ran away

verb

past tense of run away

as in escaped

to get free from a dangerous or confining situation ran away from an unhappy marriage

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in retreated

to hasten away from something dangerous or frightening the child runs away from large dogs

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of ran away The person who stabbed Vargas Paulino ran away, prompting a manhunt by police, who set up a perimeter, closing Miramar Parkway in both directions between the 16400 and 17200 blocks, McIntosh said. — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 23 July 2026 In some folklore stories, Lilith is a woman who ran away from Adam in the Garden of Eden to live a more independent life. — Olivia B. Waxman, Time, 22 July 2026 Fig, an Australian shepherd, ran away from home after getting frightened by July Fourth fireworks. — ABC News, 21 July 2026 The teen ran away, toward the nearby bus, and bullets followed him. — Julia Coin updated July 14, Charlotte Observer, 14 July 2026 State and federal authorities said Castro Rivera ran away on foot and was hit by a pickup truck on Interstate 264. — Russ Bynum, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026 Gunfire rang out into the vehicle until both men eventually ran away in opposite directions. — Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 30 June 2026 Officers made contact with the man, who then ran away and into the Fox River. — Elyssa Kaufman, CBS News, 27 June 2026 Witnesses told Chicago police that gunmen ran inside a Dunning neighborhood three-flat where two young men were found shot to death Thursday and then ran away from the block that sits at the foot of the Irving Park Cemetery. — Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 26 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ran away

Verb

The data released by DCF this week shows that there are many other child deaths that have escaped public view over the last year and a half.

— Laura Tillman, Hartford Courant, 18 July 2026
The first major wave of these changes just escaped Windows Insider builds and landed on stable Windows 11 machines with July’s Patch Tuesday update.

— Chris Hoffman, PC Magazine, 15 July 2026

Definition of escaped

Verb

Kelly, typically a non-demonstrative engineer, retreated to the airplane bathroom and sobbed.

— Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 20 July 2026
But instead of pulling back, Elmi says, the founders reinvested their own capital, applied it to operating as an essential business, and secured favorable lease terms and available talent while competitors retreated.

— Sydney Lake, Fortune, 20 July 2026

Definition of retreated

Verb

In Comfort, a group of 42 relatives who had gathered for their family’s 40th annual reunion fled a riverside hotel on Thursday morning, CNN affiliate KENS reported.

— Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 17 July 2026
Kingsbury argued that Payton fled for his life firing behind him on 10th Street as bullets whizzed and ricocheted past; and argued Payton’s return fire was not responsible for the deaths of the three women.

— Darrell Smith July 16, Sacbee.com, 17 July 2026

Definition of fled

Verb

View gallery - 7 images A robot that swims like a diving bird and then flies like, well, a bird, sounds like the setup for two different machines bolted together.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 13 July 2026
In addition to the custom pieces of furniture — and hundreds of cameras capturing contestants’ every move — some of the furniture is bolted to the ground, as Storey told the Los Angeles Times.

— Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 9 July 2026

Definition of bolted

Verb

The bear ran off, and first responders found the woman with non-life-threatening injuries, the Anchorage Police Department said.

— ABC News, ABC News, 21 July 2026
In the run-up to the 2010 World Cup, Spain ran off a 35-game unbeaten streak, which matched the longest in history at the time.

— Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2026

Definition of ran off

Verb

Beth Bourne, one of the most prominent anti-transgender activists in California, is running for the Davis Joint Unified School District Board of Education.

— Camryn Dadey, Sacbee.com, 18 July 2026
England went ahead of Argentina in the 55th minute of their semifinal, but Messi found another gear and set up both late goals to break England’s hearts and keep Argentina’s run alive.

— Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 18 July 2026

Definition of ran

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ran amok

ran away

ran by

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“Ran away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ran%20away. Accessed 24 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of ran away

verb

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