1
as in ejected
to drive or force out
the dog often ran off cats and other animals that had intruded upon his owner's property
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in escaped
to get free from a dangerous or confining situation
their rebellious daughter's run off because she was disciplined again
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in retreated
to hasten away from something dangerous or frightening
the mouse ran off as soon as it saw us
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 off
The horse then got spooked and ran off, while the driver chased after it.
—
Katie Houlis,
CBS News,
20 June 2026
After Mamdani ran off a long list of his favorite players over the years, Dolan was not impressed and showed his disdain for hizzoner.
—
Matt Nighswander,
NBC news,
18 June 2026
The striker, a top scorer in the Saudi Pro League, immediately ran off to celebrate with the bench, marking the first goal of the tournament.
—
Eduard Cauich,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2026
Weeks go by with most people assuming that Ashe ran off or was killed as a result of his sketchy business dealings.
—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
5 June 2026
The Apaches ran off four straight to tie it at 22.
—
Tim Meehan,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 May 2026
But instead there was a hefty stack of driver’s licenses in there, including Angel’s (Priscilla Delgado), Rue’s love interest who’d supposedly ran off from rehab.
—
Sabrina Reed,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2026
Katie Houlis,
CBS News,
20 June 2026
After Mamdani ran off a long list of his favorite players over the years, Dolan was not impressed and showed his disdain for hizzoner.
—
Matt Nighswander,
NBC news,
18 June 2026
The striker, a top scorer in the Saudi Pro League, immediately ran off to celebrate with the bench, marking the first goal of the tournament.
—
Eduard Cauich,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2026
Weeks go by with most people assuming that Ashe ran off or was killed as a result of his sketchy business dealings.
—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
5 June 2026
The Apaches ran off four straight to tie it at 22.
—
Tim Meehan,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 May 2026
But instead there was a hefty stack of driver’s licenses in there, including Angel’s (Priscilla Delgado), Rue’s love interest who’d supposedly ran off from rehab.
—
Sabrina Reed,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ran off
Verb
-
Cubs manager Craig Counsell was ejected for arguing a replay reversal in the seventh.
-
As striking is that of the last five — Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak and Starmer — just one, Sunak, was ejected by voters in a general election.
Verb
-
Emilio Buitrago, who was born in Venezuela but moved to Philadelphia in the 1990s, says his cousin narrowly escaped her apartment building during the earthquakes.
-
And this has not escaped Justice Alito's notice.
Verb
-
Devers petulantly left the field, avoided handshakes and butt slaps in the dugout, and retreated to the clubhouse.
-
While both benchmarks have retreated from the highs of the Iran crisis, crude remains much higher than pre-war levels.
Verb
-
Johnson is among six people featured by Pam Bondi whose cases have now been dismissed.
-
Joe Root, Jofra Archer, Matthew Fisher and Josh Tongue were dismissed in two double-wicket maidens by Henry.
Verb
-
By that point, Shockley had fled the state, testimony later showed.
-
The suspect then fled into a wooded are nearby.
Verb
-
Wilson scrambled back to his feet after diving headfirst into second, then bolted for third base.
-
Romanch Mahajan was fatally injured after the horse pulling his carriage bolted, collided with another carriage and toppled over on June 16.
Verb
-
And if they're caught rocking some flops in Cinque Terre, they won't just be outed as a fashion victim.
-
Phil and Tony butt heads over a litany of issues, but one of the big hangups between the two of them in the first half of season six revolves around one of Tony's top earners, Vito Spatafore, being outed as a gay man.
Verb
-
Officers made contact with the man, who then ran away and into the Fox River.
-
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.
Cite this Entry
“Ran off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ran%20off. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
