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
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
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of runaway
Chloe Mayer, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 June 2025
And the 1993 Oscar for the very specific category of best five seconds of walking in the background of a scene goes to DiCaprio in a runaway (or walkaway).
—Derek Lawrence, EW.com, 13 July 2025
Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 9 Aug. 2025
Wednesday frees Fester, and neither of them think to close the cell door behind them, so the zombie roomie also breaks free, creating the distraction Thornhill needs to run away from security herself.
—Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 6 Aug. 2025
Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 13 Aug. 2025
And that's where the runaway train of an idea hit a few speed bumps.
—Keith Sharon, The Tennessean, 27 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for runaway
Verb
But it's believed that many of the children were runaways who had been missing for between 10 days to more than a year, news channel Local 12 reported.
—Chloe Mayer, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 June 2025
And the 1993 Oscar for the very specific category of best five seconds of walking in the background of a scene goes to DiCaprio in a runaway (or walkaway).
—Derek Lawrence, EW.com, 13 July 2025
Adjective
Started again and took off, running away with a 48-18 blowout of the Commanders.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 9 Aug. 2025
Wednesday frees Fester, and neither of them think to close the cell door behind them, so the zombie roomie also breaks free, creating the distraction Thornhill needs to run away from security herself.
—Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 6 Aug. 2025
Noun
Saito and co-owner John Gamble first opened the 12-seat Wesley Heights location last September after seeing runaway success with their Katsu Kart food truck.
—Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 13 Aug. 2025
And that's where the runaway train of an idea hit a few speed bumps.
—Keith Sharon, The Tennessean, 27 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for runaway
Recent Examples of Synonyms for runaway
Verb
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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
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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
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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
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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
Adjective
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The warm soil and decreasing temperatures help seeds germinate quickly, and pests and weeds aren’t as rampant as during the summer.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
7 Aug. 2025
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If there is rampant concern about the legitimacy of the results, Paul and his team are right—boxing and sports will be dealt a serious blow.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
4 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The Milwaukee Brewers completed the sweep of the Mets with a 7-6 walkoff win, erasing a 5-0 lead, tying the game at 6-6 in the bottom of the eighth before Isaac Collins hit a home run off right-hander Edwin Diaz in the top of the ninth.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
10 Aug. 2025
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The Tea Party sweep of 2010 brought in a new Congress in 2011, after Obama had settled on most of his accommodations of supply-side economics.—
Brian Domitrovic,
Forbes.com,
9 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Former Congressman Beto O'Rourke was among those who spoke on Saturday in Texas, from which dozens of Democratic state lawmakers fled to deny Republicans the quorum needed to vote on a redistricting plan that President Donald Trump had demanded.—
Matt Tracy,
USA Today,
18 Aug. 2025
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As Texas Republicans convened for a second special session to move forward with a new congressional map deleting five Democratic seats, opposition-party lawmakers who’d fled the state were expected to return and oppose it — encouraged by California Gov. Gavin Newsom.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
18 Aug. 2025
Verb
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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
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Firefighting helicopters on various occasions scooped up water from the lake when fighting wildfires instead of flying farther away.—
Elizabeth Marie Himchak,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Indeed, of the roughly 500 uncontrolled blazes in Canada, 305 were being monitored.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
13 Aug. 2025
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According to the Texas Invasive Species Institute, snail damage in uncontrolled fields can be as high as 100 percent for rice seedlings in the germinating stage.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
6 Aug. 2025
Noun
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His Monday meeting in the Oval Office with Zelensky will likely reveal an evolution in their relationship, and Trump’s view of Putin, since their ghastly February blowout.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
16 Aug. 2025
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Other revenue surprised, too, with blowout growth of 29.8% to €780 million, thanks to more maintenance (MRO) and BA Holidays revenue.—
John Choong,
Forbes.com,
11 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Runaway.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/runaway. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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