1
as in to out
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 to escape
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 to retreat
to hasten away from something dangerous or frightening
the mouse ran off as soon as it saw us
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in fresh
Related 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 runoff
The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 7 Aug. 2025
In Detroit, City Council President Mary Sheffield won most of the primary vote and a spot in the November runoff.
—David Weigel, semafor.com, 6 Aug. 2025
Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 3 Aug. 2025
But Call squelched that momentum with his homer in the seventh, and the Nationals added three runs off of left-hander Kody Funderburk in the eighth for their sixth win in 13 games.
—John Shipley, Twin Cities, 27 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for runoff
Verb
But what if farmers could also receive extra money for their businesses via eco-credits, akin to carbon credits, for the work those wetlands do to filter-clean farm runoff?
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 7 Aug. 2025
In Detroit, City Council President Mary Sheffield won most of the primary vote and a spot in the November runoff.
—David Weigel, semafor.com, 6 Aug. 2025
Noun
The right-hander had another tough start Sunday afternoon when the San Francisco Giants took seven runs off of him in only four innings, costing them in a 12-4 loss.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 3 Aug. 2025
But Call squelched that momentum with his homer in the seventh, and the Nationals added three runs off of left-hander Kody Funderburk in the eighth for their sixth win in 13 games.
—John Shipley, Twin Cities, 27 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for runoff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for runoff
Verb
-
Ryan went into his Sept. 29, 2023, outing needing nine strikeouts for 200.—
Dan Hayes,
New York Times,
21 July 2025
-
Both are located close to downtown, offer accessible trails, and make for a fun and easy outing the whole family can enjoy.—
Abby Price,
Travel + Leisure,
13 July 2025
Verb
-
Both eateries are open to the public, making this a great place to escape from the heat of the day while peeking inside the incredible interior of this historic building.—
Carley Rojas Ávila,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
-
What does this have to do with the series’ opening scene, in which nurse Melvin (Dan Fogler, whose recognizability counts as an early spoiler) escapes from a burning apartment, unable to save his mother?—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Previous to Trump’s statement, four former directors of Intel published a commentary exclusive to Fortune, saying the company was likely to retreat as America’s chips champion.—
Nino Paoli,
Fortune,
15 Aug. 2025
-
But in peacetime, the nation often retreats into suspicion: frowning on success, moaning about profit, and wrapping ambition in red tape.—
London Business School,
Forbes.com,
14 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Another option is to use fuel stabilizer which will help keep the gasoline fresh and the generator’s fuel system in good shape.—
Rick Barrett,
jsonline.com,
12 Aug. 2025
-
The Dragons will lean on Penn for ground production but will have more backs that complement him and keep the backfield fresh.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Sometimes Evie imagined the land, the world, the city around her as a cartoon neighborhood, the houses’ edges elastic like balloons, their walls filling up and bloating and then, all at once, popping: ejecting out the riffraff and trash in a huff.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Aug. 2025
-
The following year, he and Patricia were ejected from a Congressional hearing on the second amendment after exchanging words with lawmakers.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
4 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Democrats in the state’s House have since fled the Lone Star state to avoid a quorum needed to pass the redistricting bill.—
ForbesTV,
Forbes.com,
6 Aug. 2025
-
On Tuesday, Texas Republicans voted to issue civil arrest warrants for Democrats who fled the state.—
August 5,
NPR,
5 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The rumble of the engines set off car alarms in the distance as ULA opened up its national security account for Vulcan, making only its third ever launch after flying two certification flights in 2024.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 Aug. 2025
-
The next phase in the investigation will include interviewing employees and flying in experts, officials said.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
12 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Two and a half feet of rain beat down upon the face of the San Gabriels, wiping out the rustic resorts wedged into the canyons, and chuting runoff waters down onto the plain along ancient dry rivulets and freshets and canyons that Angelenos had forgotten or never known about.—
Patt MorrisonColumnist,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Feb. 2023
-
The Hudson River had a little current, fed by freshets from upstream with local rains, and melting snow farther up, in the Adirondacks.—
Ian Frazier,
The New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2020
Cite this Entry
“Runoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/runoff. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share