run 1 of 5

verb (1)

ˈrən How to pronounce run (audio)
Definition of runnext
1
as in to jog
to go at a pace faster than a walk we ran all the way to the bus stop, but still missed the bus

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to flee
to hasten away from something dangerous or frightening rather than run from a black bear, it's better to hold your ground and make lots of noise

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to lead
to be positioned along a certain course or in a certain direction the road runs along the river for a while

Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in to vary
to occur within a continuous range of variation the electric bill runs between 30 and 50 dollars a month

Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in to flow
to move in a stream water running down the window

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in to race
to proceed or move quickly run and get the nurse

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in to tend
to show a liking or proneness (for something) unfortunately, members of his family run to fatness

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
8
as in to drive
to urge, push, or force onward they ran the horses hard in order to get to the ranch quickly

Synonyms & Similar Words
9
as in to operate
to control the mechanical operation of I know how to run that machine

Synonyms & Similar Words
10
as in to become
to eventually have as a state or quality the poor woman ran herself ragged trying to care for all those children

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
11
as in to melt
to go from a solid to a liquid state her makeup started to run when she got in the pool

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
12
as in to manage
to look after and make decisions about learning to run the family business

Synonyms & Similar Words
13
as in to activate
to cause to function in olden days mills were run by flowing water

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
14
as in to cost
to have a price of that sort of computer runs at least several hundred dollars

Synonyms & Similar Words
15
as in to travel
to come or be together as friends he's been running with a bad crowd lately

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
16
as in to chase
to go after or on the track of if that dog continues to run cars, he's going to get seriously hurt

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

run

2 of 5

noun

1
as in tendency
a prevailing or general movement or inclination the company's stock has remained consistent with the overall run of the market

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in brook
chiefly Midland a natural body of running water smaller than a river a run full of catfish

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in duration
the period during which something exists, lasts, or is in progress the actor has been assigned the part for the run of the show

Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in authorization
the right to act or move freely gave the dogs the run of the place

Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in trots
runs plural abnormally frequent intestinal evacuations with more or less fluid stools with weekend guests in the house, it was no time to get the runs

Synonyms & Similar Words

run (over)

3 of 5

verb (2)

as in to visit
to make a brief visit I could run over right now if that's good for you

Synonyms & Similar Words

run over

4 of 5

verb (3)

as in to practice
to do over and over so as to become skilled let's run over this dance number one more time

Synonyms & Similar Words

ran

5 of 5

verb (4)

variants also chiefly dialectal run
past tense of run
1
as in trotted
to go at a pace faster than a walk we ran all the way to the bus stop, but still missed the bus

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in retreated
to hasten away from something dangerous or frightening rather than run from a black bear, it's better to hold your ground and make lots of noise

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in led
to be positioned along a certain course or in a certain direction the road runs along the river for a while

Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in ranged
to occur within a continuous range of variation the electric bill runs between 30 and 50 dollars a month

Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in flowed
to move in a stream water running down the window

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in raced
to proceed or move quickly run and get the nurse

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in leaned
to show a liking or proneness (for something) unfortunately, members of his family run to fatness

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
8
as in drove
to urge, push, or force onward they ran the horses hard in order to get to the ranch quickly

Synonyms & Similar Words
9
as in operated
to control the mechanical operation of I know how to run that machine

Synonyms & Similar Words
10
as in became
to eventually have as a state or quality the poor woman ran herself ragged trying to care for all those children

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
11
as in melted
to go from a solid to a liquid state her makeup started to run when she got in the pool

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
12
as in managed
to look after and make decisions about learning to run the family business

Synonyms & Similar Words
13
as in triggered
to cause to function in olden days mills were run by flowing water

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
14
as in cost
to have a price of that sort of computer runs at least several hundred dollars

Synonyms & Similar Words
15
as in traveled
to come or be together as friends he's been running with a bad crowd lately

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
16
as in chased
to go after or on the track of if that dog continues to run cars, he's going to get seriously hurt

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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
Verb
Cox, working like a shoestring Peckinpah, sets up Strindler against the crooks who run the border town — the corrupt mayor and sheriff and a wealthy rancher. — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 15 Aug. 2026 Sabio previously ran for Fairfax County School Board before launching his congressional campaign. — Amy Delaura, The Washington Examiner, 15 Aug. 2026
Noun
Ohtani chased him from the game with a two-run homer into the left-field seats. — Kansas City Star, 13 Aug. 2026 The Nationals’ lefty, who was selected in the fourth round of the 2024 draft, pitched into the fifth inning and allowed three runs. — Danielle Allentuck, Washington Post, 13 Aug. 2026
Verb
The offense broke out against Kansas City Royals starter Randy Dobnak and the bullpen, and left-hander Matthew Boyd allowed just two runs over seven innings in a 10-2 victory to secure the series victory. — Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 9 Aug. 2026 The government’s total debt on interest alone now runs over $1 trillion annually, more than the United States spends on national defense. — Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 8 Aug. 2026
Verb
Cox, working like a shoestring Peckinpah, sets up Strindler against the crooks who run the border town — the corrupt mayor and sheriff and a wealthy rancher. — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 15 Aug. 2026 Sabio previously ran for Fairfax County School Board before launching his congressional campaign. — Amy Delaura, The Washington Examiner, 15 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for run
Recent Examples of Synonyms for run
  1. jog
  2. flee
  3. lead
  4. vary
  5. flow
  6. race
  7. tend
  8. drive
Verb
  • Myles Straw, running out to left as Varland jogged in from the bullpen, began yelling at his closer and throwing his arm in the air.
    — Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Adames then led off the bottom of the seventh, popping out and jogging gingerly back to the dugout.
    — Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of jog
Verb
  • After Bridegan was shot in the street, prosecutors have said, one person fled on foot and another fled in a vehicle, WJXT reported.
    — Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Luwi, who moved into Gajdusek’s house after Koiye fled it, spent years keeping his distance from his uncle, so as not to attract suspicion, too.
    — Rachel Aviv, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of flee
Verb
  • The Broncos, who lost in the AFC championship game last season, led 24-0 at halftime and were never threatened.
    — Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 15 Aug. 2026
  • The continent has the world’s youngest population, but several countries are still led by aging leaders whose political careers began decades ago, including former liberation figures now governing in a different era.
    — Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of lead
Verb
  • New Atlas The rides were in varying stages of decay, and there seemed to be a lot of orphaned carousel horses from other amusement centers dotted across the park.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Diagnosis often takes years because symptoms overlap with other conditions, vary widely and may be dismissed by doctors.
    — Laura Ungar, Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of vary
Verb
  • According to regulators, the investments all flowed through Spaventa.
    — Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Using the streams as indicators of the groundwater flowing beneath them, Campbell is building a model to identify the best potential sites in Idaho for a subsurface dam.
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of flow
Verb
  • With France experiencing its driest year ever, a new fire raced through woodlands overnight in the Landes region on the southwest coast.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026
  • On Wednesday afternoon, Alejandro Eder, the mayor of Cali, told reporters that rescue teams continue to find signs of people alive under the rubble and are racing to save them.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of race
Verb
  • The budding rivalry game’s intense box-to-box energy tended to fizzle inside the 18, as the two sides combined for one shot on target through 45 minutes, plus another three by the final whistle.
    — Josh Gross, Daily News, 16 Aug. 2026
  • As Murkowski’s objections indicate, some of the Americans most affected by these rules would be rural voters, who tend to lean Republican.
    — Amy Davidson Sorkin, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of tend
Verb
  • Recordings of Rajab’s call with paramedics gained international attention, driving calls for accountability for her killing and that of thousands of other children in Gaza.
    — Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The University of Michigan's consumer sentiment index, also released Friday, showed greater pessimism about the economy this month, likely driven by stubbornly high prices.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of drive

Phrases Containing run

Browse Nearby Words

rums
run
runabout
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Run.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/run. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on run

Nglish: Translation of run for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of balmy

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Is “GIF” Pronounced “Jiff” or “Giff”?

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All