1
as in to escape
to get free from a dangerous or confining situation
ran away from an unhappy marriage
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to retreat
to hasten away from something dangerous or frightening
the child runs away from large dogs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in rampant
showing no signs of being under control
a region plagued by runaway suburban sprawl
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in sweep
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
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
Gerald Herbert, Fortune, 19 Apr. 2026
The foursome stares at each other for a moment, then Ashley and Austin literally run away.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2026
Steve Knopper, Rolling Stone, 14 Apr. 2026
And Republicans are locked in a costly and punishing clash for governor, alongside a three-way Senate fight with no runaway GOP favorite.
—Greg Bluestein, AJC.com, 12 Apr. 2026
Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 1 Apr. 2026
The Wolverines dismantled Tennessee 95–62 in a game that turned into a runaway before halftime.
—Rowan Fisher-Shotton, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for run away
Verb
Liza Demming, who lives two houses down from where most of the victims were shot, said her security camera captured video of the suspect running away along with the sound of two shots.
—Gerald Herbert, Fortune, 19 Apr. 2026
The foursome stares at each other for a moment, then Ashley and Austin literally run away.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
Back in the Nineties, Pearl Jam famously sued Ticketmaster in an unsuccessful effort to rein in the runaway costs of attending a concert.
—Steve Knopper, Rolling Stone, 14 Apr. 2026
And Republicans are locked in a costly and punishing clash for governor, alongside a three-way Senate fight with no runaway GOP favorite.
—Greg Bluestein, AJC.com, 12 Apr. 2026
Noun
When the vacuum structure of a test cell failed under high-temperature conditions, the battery did not experience thermal runaway, fire risk, or temperature spikes.
—Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 1 Apr. 2026
The Wolverines dismantled Tennessee 95–62 in a game that turned into a runaway before halftime.
—Rowan Fisher-Shotton, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for run away
Recent Examples of Synonyms for run away
Verb
-
In one version of the script, Alonzo managed to escape, but Washington and Fuqua decided against it.—
Kelefa Sanneh,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
-
To escape North Korea, the Kims would need to evade patrol boats and cross what is known as the Northern Limit Line (NLL) – a tense, disputed maritime boundary between North and South Korea.—
Mike Valerio,
CNN Money,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Rebel, not knowing whether the ball was caught, didn’t retreat back to first, Gilbert said.—
Lou Ponsi,
Oc Register,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Japan and South Korea stocks hit record highs overnight, before Asia-Pacific markets retreated into negative territory, following the reports of Iran tanker interceptions.—
Hugh Leask,Holly Ellyatt,Chloe Taylor,
CNBC,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Bay Area federal lawmakers marked Earth Day by introducing a bill Wednesday aimed at mitigating rampant whale deaths in the San Francisco Bay — an alarming statistic which has reached its highest level in 25 years.—
Caelyn Pender,
Mercury News,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Those issues include housing shortages, rampant homelessness, the nation’s highest levels of unemployment and poverty, uncertain water supplies, soaring utility costs, shamefully low academic achievement in public schools and a state budget in chronic deficit.—
Dan Walters,
Oc Register,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
David Bednar pitched a perfect bottom of the ninth to lock down the save and complete the three-game sweep.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
-
The Avs now lead the best-of-7 series 3-0, and will go for a sweep here Sunday afternoon in Game 4.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The victim told officers that after the shooting occurred, an unknown male approached him and took his gun and fled the scene in a black pick-up truck.—
Jeramie Bizzle,
CBS News,
19 Apr. 2026
-
Sudan last week entered a fourth year of war that, in addition to killing 59,000 people, has forced 13 million to flee their homes.—
Steve Scauzillo,
Daily News,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
For so long this season, Arsenal were flying high at the summit of the division and looked destined to end their 22-year wait for the title.—
Nnamdi Onyeagwara,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2026
-
There are flying cars held at bay by the power of telekenesis and Park teleporting, as the crew clumsily accept their new ‘hero’ roles and attempt to take on the villains threatening the peace of Haeseong City.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Nearly in sync, a third emerges, prompting a chorus of uncontrolled squeals and giddy laughter.—
Hannah Towey,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Apr. 2026
-
During the frenzied police response, an Idaho State Patrol trooper deployed a drone that flew off uncontrolled.—
Nick Penzenstadler,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In the 2010s, 14% of November games were blowouts, and 15% of April games were blowouts.—
Lev Akabas,
Sportico.com,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Founding member and key trader Chris Cecere quit the firm despite Asymmetric’s blowout returns in 2024, according to a person who spoke with Cecere.—
Jack Kubinec,
Fortune,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Run away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/run%20away. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
