run away 1 of 3

verb

Definition of run awaynext
1
as in to escape
to get free from a dangerous or confining situation ran away from an unhappy marriage

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to retreat
to hasten away from something dangerous or frightening the child runs away from large dogs

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

runaway

2 of 3

adjective

as in rampant
showing no signs of being under control a region plagued by runaway suburban sprawl

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

runaway

3 of 3

noun

as in sweep

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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 run away
Verb
The video shows a black SUV speeding over a median and driving toward a man who is running away. — Lekan Oyekanmi, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026 Walker arrives at the scene and notices a man running away with a gun in hand. — Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026
Adjective
The planet is less well mapped than Mars, and scientists aren’t exactly sure what triggered Venus’ runaway greenhouse effect. — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 14 Oct. 2026 As with Medicare Advantage plans, the $2,400 out-of-pocket drug spending cap protects Original Medicare seniors from runaway costs on expensive medications. — Cindy Krischer Goodman, Sun Sentinel, 14 Oct. 2026
Noun
But those observations are more compelling when applied to Alice, a former teen-age runaway who, in another life, might have ended up where Catherine is now. — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 30 July 2026 Van Dokkum was not involved in the study but did lead the 2023 team that found the potential runaway with a tail of stars. — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 29 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for run away
Recent Examples of Synonyms for run away
  1. escape
  2. retreat
  3. rampant
  4. sweep
  5. flee
  6. fly
  7. uncontrolled
  8. blowout
Verb
  • For all its tests, the company builds realistic simulated environments, red teams these environments itself and with third parties to see whether they can be escaped, and monitors what agents do.
    — Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Most of the work of recovery is about treating whatever is causing people to escape their lives into endless scrolling and stimulation, Kardaras says.
    — Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of escape
Verb
  • Meanwhile, conservative activists spread rumors last week that Talarico was struggling with his mental health and had secretly retreated to an Ohio hospital.
    — Lauren Green, The Washington Examiner, 15 Oct. 2026
  • While Chelsea tend to retreat after taking the lead, their opponents also become more aggressive in response, committing extra bodies forward and helping to create more open, end-to-end encounters.
    — Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of retreat
Adjective
  • Yet, we’re told by this administration that non-citizen voting is rampant and must be eradicated.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Co-existence with extraterrestrials has seen humans revert to old habits of prejudice and apartheid; crime and corruption are rampant as ever; pop-up ads now irksomely manifest as holograms in your personal space.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of rampant
Noun
  • Murphy celebrated Milwaukee’s NL Championship Series sweep by saying the Los Angeles Dodgers had Hall of Famers but his team had gamers.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Its variable-sweep wings can be adjusted between 20 and 65 degrees, allowing the bomber to operate efficiently at lower speeds and during supersonic flight.
    — Muskan Bhatia, Interesting Engineering, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of sweep
Verb
  • The case centers on the Cuban government shooting down two Brothers to the Rescue flights, a civilian rescue group dedicated to saving refugees fleeing the authoritarian Castro regime — then run by Raul Castro’s older brother Fidel.
    — Liv Caputo Herald, Miami Herald, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Several reports say the attackers arrived on a motorcycle and fled after firing.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of flee
Verb
  • The company had been gearing up to fly several more this year having already been given approval to fly as many as 12 times a year.
    — Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2026
  • For the 31st time as secretary of state, Marco Rubio has left on a trip abroad, flying to Uzbekistan and later India amid rumblings that America's top diplomat is ignoring pressing matters in favor of politically safer visits and meetings.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of fly
Adjective
  • Weapons, on the other hand, need a much higher concentration—90 percent—to spark an uncontrolled reaction.
    — Nick Bockelman, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Causes may include uncontrolled high blood pressure, trauma from a fall or accident, or overtreatment of blood thinners.
    — Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of uncontrolled
Noun
  • The blowout news from SpaceX’s Q3 earnings wasn’t the rocket and AI giant’s outstanding performance that far exceeded even the analysts’ elevated expectations, but Elon Musk’s revelation that SpaceX and Tesla are weighing a merger.
    — Shawn Tully, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Then came Tuesday's blowout SpaceX earnings, and growth roared back.
    — Todd Gordon, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of blowout

Browse Nearby Words

runaround
run away
runaway
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Cite this Entry

“Run away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/run%20away. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

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