run in 1 of 2

verb

Definition of run innext
1
as in to visit
to make a brief visit I just thought I'd run in and pick up my package

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in to arrest
to take or keep under one's control by authority of law if we catch you shoplifting again, we're going to run you in

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

run-in

2 of 2

noun

ˈrən-ˌin How to pronounce run-in (audio)
as in encounter
a brief clash between enemies or rivals the rival gangs had a bit of a run-in last night

Synonyms & Similar 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 in
Verb
According to court documents, an officer spotted the elder Smith brother running behind a residence, and the younger brother was later found running in the same yard while holding an AR-style rifle. — Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 23 Oct. 2026 Zarybnisky remained optimistic that Blue Origin and ULA will work through their technical problems and that new competitors will get up and running in time. — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 23 Oct. 2026
Noun
This recent arrest is not Belizaire's first run-in with the law. — Eric MacK, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2026 After that run-in, though, the two-time Oscar winner said another victim wasn’t so lucky. — Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 30 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for run in
Recent Examples of Synonyms for run in
  1. visit
  2. arrest
  3. encounter
  4. come over
  5. seize
  6. step in
  7. grab
  8. come by
Verb
  • The soldiers, aviation technicians with the Salvandoran army, were victims of a gang ambush on Sunday in the Santo area of Croix-des-Bouquets, east of Port-au-Prince, while on their way back to camp after visiting a local supermarket.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Harry and Meghan, who remain private citizens and not working royals, made their first joint public appearance last week in Nottingham, visiting community organizations.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of visit
Verb
  • People in the country longer may have more opportunities to contest their removal while the government typically has greater authority to fast-track deportations for people arrested at the border.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2026
  • In April, a US Army soldier was arrested and charged with using confidential information to make $410,000 in Polymarket bets on the timing of the military’s capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
    — Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of arrest
Noun
  • Peters has denied the allegations and says the encounter was consensual.
    — Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The man who shot a gun in a road rage dispute outside Rangeview High School Tuesday has a history of violent road rage encounters, as alleged in arrest documents.
    — Olivia Young, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of encounter
Verb
  • Joe Cullen, the team's defensive line coach, came over to talk to him, putting his hand on Jones' shoulder, as coaches are wont to do.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The strike came over a year after a ceasefire deal was reached between Israel and the Hamas militant group, a period during which Israel continued to launch deadly strikes on the enclave.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of come over
Verb
  • Experts worry federal law enforcement could potentially use those false claims — or others generated this year — as pretext to try to seize ballots during the counting period, or interfere in the process in some other way.
    — Miles Parks, NPR, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Those weaknesses could enable cybercriminals to seize control of unprotected website servers, install malware, pilfer customer data and even take sites down completely.
    — Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of seize
Verb
  • Sporting Wichita Academy said the tragedy had shaken a soccer community built around families and teammates, thanking first responders, medical workers and bystanders who stepped in to help.
    — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Niki Zucca, president of the Central Elementary PTO, noted her school has a high rate of poverty but Jose stepped in to help.
    — Gregory Royal Pratt, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of step in
Verb
  • Video on social media showed distressed shopkeepers begging young men to stop stealing their inventory—and those young men pushing them aside to grab shoes and food from their shelves.
    — Jim Edwards, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
  • One 10-year-old girl, crying and trying to hug her father, was allegedly grabbed by the neck by law enforcement, according to the lawsuit.
    — Sarah Cutler, Idaho Statesman, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of grab
Verb
  • The hotel can also arrange transportation by boat, helicopter, or private plane—alternatively, come by yacht and anchor down at the edge of the bay.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The Jets are 1-14 in their past 15 visits to Gillette Stadium, with six of those losses coming by at least 14 points.
    — Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of come by

Browse Nearby Words

rung up
run in
run-in
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Run in.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/run%20in. Accessed 25 Oct. 2026.

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