1
as in to escape
to get free from a dangerous or confining situation
ran away from an unhappy marriage
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of run away
The Athletic Nhl Staff, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
Romero ran away barefoot and pantless in the 4600 block of Mark IV Parkway, officials said.
—Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Feb. 2026
Big Think, 5 Feb. 2026
Each of these stories strikes some very contemporary nerves — conspiracy theorists, political justice, runaway capitalism, climate change — though their origins are not all rooted in the present.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 5 Feb. 2026
Bonnie Tsui, The Atlantic, 20 Jan. 2026
Gortenburg is sure that the little runaway was ready to go home.
—Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 17 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for run away
Verb
Big shock that Houston ran away with this one.
—The Athletic Nhl Staff, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
Romero ran away barefoot and pantless in the 4600 block of Mark IV Parkway, officials said.
—Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
It’s speculated that a runaway greenhouse effect took place on Venus long ago, leading to its dense, thick, hot atmosphere, dominated by carbon dioxide and sulfuric acid clouds.
—Big Think, 5 Feb. 2026
Each of these stories strikes some very contemporary nerves — conspiracy theorists, political justice, runaway capitalism, climate change — though their origins are not all rooted in the present.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 5 Feb. 2026
Noun
Jo, being a writer as well as a runaway from the strictures of womanhood, is a bit of an avatar for Alcott.
—Bonnie Tsui, The Atlantic, 20 Jan. 2026
Gortenburg is sure that the little runaway was ready to go home.
—Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 17 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for run away
Recent Examples of Synonyms for run away
Verb
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There were no sitters within that catalogue of misses — nothing toe-curling or likely to do a million views on YouTube — but his profligacy allowed Dortmund to escape with a 2-1 win.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
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To escape Earth’s energy crunch, SpaceX is taking AI to orbit, where near-constant solar energy replaces Earth’s strained power grids.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Illinois lawmakers recently flirted with a tax on unrealized gains—think of stocks yet to be sold at fluctuating prices that only exist on paper—before retreating.—
Veronique De Rugy,
Oc Register,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Jackson was disinvited from the Grammy Awards telecast the following week and largely retreated from the public spotlight, while Timberlake’s career continued uninterrupted.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Croatia dropped the kuna in 2023, and the change was met with widespread stories about rampant inflation — perhaps explaining other countries’ reluctance — although the European Central Bank said that price rises continued on existing trends.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
5 Feb. 2026
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During Operation Midway Blitz last fall, unprovoked violence by CBP and ICE was rampant — and often captured on video.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The incident was determined to be unfounded after a comprehensive sweep of the campuses.—
Max Klaver,
Miami Herald,
4 Feb. 2026
-
By ending encampment sweeps, Mamdani effectively surrendered public spaces to squalor and disorder.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The president flees these tradeoffs as a matter of course and flip-flops unpredictably when pressures rise.—
Edward Lotterman,
Twin Cities,
8 Feb. 2026
-
During one game, Graham felt the pass rush and fled the pocket; Brown had ordered him to stay in it, no matter what.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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From brushing ice in curling to flying down an ice track headfirst in skeleton, the Winter Olympics are home to some unique and exciting sports that feature uncommon vernacular.—
Ben Morse,
CNN Money,
5 Feb. 2026
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Last November, the PLA Air Force released a video showing a GJ-11 flying alongside and linked with a J-20 stealth fighter.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The compound works, and while her gluttonous binges become increasingly uncontrolled — filmed by James and DP Charlie Sarroff like woozy Francis Bacon images — her weight keeps plummeting.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Feb. 2026
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The civil complaint accuses hospital staff of failing to put a safety clamp on the peripheral IV tubing to prevent uncontrolled flow of D10 into Zendaya and failing to disconnect the IV tubing from Zendaya after the umbilical catheters were placed.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Michigan State starting on Valentine’s Day, the Bruins wrapped up their three-game homestand on a positive note after splitting the first two, a one-point, double-overtime loss to Indiana followed by a 22-point blowout of Rutgers in which five players scored in double digits.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Feb. 2026
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Only Nick Brinkerhoff is picking the Seahawks to win in blowout fashion, by a score of 34-17.—
Jacob Camenker,
USA Today,
8 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Run away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/run%20away. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026.
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