rundown 1 of 3

noun

ˈrən-ˌdau̇n How to pronounce rundown (audio)
Definition of rundownnext
as in summary
a short statement of the main points a rundown of the suspect's lengthy police record

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run-down

2 of 3

adjective

ˈrən-ˈdau̇n How to pronounce run-down (audio)
1
as in dilapidated
showing signs of advanced wear and tear and neglect a run-down old house that really should be torn down

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sick
temporarily suffering from a disorder of the body I'm afraid I'll be staying home today as I'm feeling run-down

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run down

3 of 3

verb

1
as in to find
to come upon after searching, study, or effort finally ran down the answer after hours of research

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2
as in to dismiss
to express scornfully one's low opinion of constantly running down the city's cultural life won't do anything to improve it

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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 rundown
Noun
With men on first and third and two out, Jackson took off for second, then stopped and got in a rundown. — ABC News, 23 Sep. 2026 The rundown by Coveteur of fall 2026 outerwear trends also flags military jackets, shrunken lapels, capes and silk jackets as looks worth watching. — Lauren Schuster, Charlotte Observer, 21 Sep. 2026
Adjective
That was a dicey, run-down discount-clothing store on Broadway, around 96th Street. — David Hajdu, The Atlantic, 16 July 2026 Moyle’s family on June 30 also appealed the value of a parcel with a run-down, vacant house. — Idaho Statesman, 13 July 2026
Verb
Lukes was 0 for 2 with a deep liner that Carter, the center fielder, ran down at the wall in right center. — ABC News, 18 Sep. 2026 Underneath, the meat is white and the juice runs down along the side. — Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for rundown
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rundown
  1. summary
  2. dilapidated
  3. sick
  4. find
  5. dismiss
  6. neglected
  7. poorly
  8. learn
Noun
  • One Moments entry showed me a summary of my past week, describing a pretty uneventful time with downright purple prose.
    — Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Bain & Company found that 80% of consumers now rely on AI summaries for at least 40% of their searches, and that organic traffic has fallen 15% to 25% as a result.
    — Boris Dzhingarov, Forbes.com, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of summary
Adjective
  • Through her nonprofit, UniteWI, owner Bria Grant bought the 112-year-old building from the City of Milwaukee in 2019 in a dilapidated state.
    — Rachel Bernhard, jsonline.com, 11 Sep. 2026
  • The developer would tear down and renovate some of the dilapidated affordable units.
    — Desiree Mathurin, Charlotte Observer, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of dilapidated
Adjective
  • Khadijah had insisted on nursing their newborn Aziza with her own breast milk, but Latif discovers that only a few pouches remain in the fridge and formula makes his baby sick.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
  • As well as being a holy site, Lourdes attracts around 3 million pilgrims a year, including approximately 60,000 sick and disabled pilgrims.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of sick
Verb
  • However, Rhodium Group analysis this month found that China’s AI companies only make about 10% the revenue of Anthropic and OpenAI.
    — Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Far more famous conflicts had a bond element, even a central one, Wigglesworth found.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of find
Verb
  • The complaint escalates the department’s battle with the federal judiciary, which has halted administration priorities, dismissed high-profile prosecutions and accused government lawyers in some cases of failing to comply with court orders.
    — Alanna Durkin Richer, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026
  • The state did not seek to dismiss allegations related to Morrissey’s statements to the media or to her agreement to log a cache of bullets under a separate case number, functionally hiding them from the defense.
    — Gene Maddaus, Variety, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of dismiss
Adjective
  • Investors and analysts are increasingly looking to other parts of the market, both to find neglected sources of value and to start assuming a defensive posture against a possible downturn.
    — Tobias Burns, CNBC, 16 July 2026
  • Changing their environment is more reliable and more neglected.
    — Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026
Definition of neglected
Adjective
  • For however poorly things are going — and the bad tone set by the starters has leaked into some defensive lapses and some pressing at the plate — the Padres got themselves into a really favorable position before this.
    — Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Sep. 2025
  • This involves having a poorly or non-functioning colon and is not usually reversible.
    — Dr. John De Jong, Boston Herald, 17 Aug. 2025
Definition of poorly
Verb
  • Carmella is also still mad at Vicki for saying that Danny is raising her kids, and Heather is angry after learning that Vicki called her fake in Palm Springs.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Other races would learn what to capture and how to protocolize it.
    — Vibhu Krishna, STAT, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of learn

Browse Nearby Words

rundlets
rundown
run-down
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Cite this Entry

“Rundown.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rundown. Accessed 2 Oct. 2026.

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