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

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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

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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

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

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5
as in to flow
to move in a stream water running down the window

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

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

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

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

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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

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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

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

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13
as in to activate
to cause to function in olden days mills were run by flowing water

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

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

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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

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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

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

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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

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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
The practice expands Canyon County’s long-running cooperation with federal immigration agents, including controversial jail holds and a 2025 racetrack raid that prompted racial profiling lawsuits from Latino families. — Rachel Spacek, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026 Koss saw the opportunity and never stopped running, diving into third without a throw. — Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 28 Aug. 2026
Noun
Is that why the Nuvolari is destined to be a limited-run footnote rather than a series-production supercar? — Byron Hurd, The Drive, 27 Aug. 2026 Other than taxpayers, bodega owners stand to be some of the biggest losers if New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D) realizes his dream of city-run grocery stores. — Editorial Board, Washington Post, 27 Aug. 2026
Verb
The backlash also prompted lawsuits and a string of vigilantism that has seen people cut down, run over or shoot dozens of Flock cameras nationwide. — Christopher Cann, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2026 The comedy notched an A- CinemaScore and is 87% RT Certified Will its limited theatrical run over the coming weeks. — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 30 Aug. 2026
Verb
The number of food recalls classified by the Food and Drug Administration through August this year is running below historical levels. — Dian Zhang, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026 Payne and Denman are both capable of being high-level running backs this year, and the elements could make this the type of game where TCU has to run the ball over 30 times. — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 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
  • First inning, Shohei Ohtani walks, steals second, jogs to third on a single by Freddie Freeman, scores on a grounder by Mookie Betts.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026
  • With his team trailing in the bottom of the 10th inning, Contreras grounded out to third and was once again booed after jogging down the line.
    — Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of jog
Verb
  • The video shows the state trooper performing a tactical vehicle intervention, also known as a PIT maneuver, on a fleeing Infiniti hatchback.
    — Daniel McFadin, Arkansas Online, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Diana, love interest Dodi Fayed and driver Henri Paul died in 1997 in Paris due to injuries from a car crash, after trying to flee paparazzi.
    — Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of flee
Verb
  • The secretary insisted he is focused on leading the War Department.
    — Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Qatar, one of the world’s leading producers of LNG, is trying to find some way to keep its export routes open, through diplomacy, finding new customers, and taking rare opportunities to get their product through Hormuz.
    — Katie Silver, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of lead
Verb
  • Advocates hope — with varying degrees of optimism — that the result will help close the gaping disparities in how different demographic groups perform.
    — Theo Peck-Suzuki, Hartford Courant, 31 Aug. 2026
  • School district rules While California has some laws governing electric bicycles, school districts may have varying rules.
    — Madison Smalstig, Sacbee.com, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of vary
Verb
  • For the traditional Telugu Hindu ceremony, their priest translated Sanskrit to English in real time, and the mandap was designed as a circle to represent how life flows into itself for eternity.
    — Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Millions of people across the floodplains of the Indian subcontinent depend on the water that flows downstream.
    — Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of flow
Verb
  • Dustin Arnold, were racing as fast as 120 mph in order to get to the scene.
    — Daniel McFadin, Arkansas Online, 27 Aug. 2026
  • In the span of less than a week this July, surgeons at a Southern California hospital raced to save the lives of two women suffering from alarmingly similar brain hemorrhages.
    — Blake Ellis, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of race
Verb
  • Chrysanthemum Chrysanthemums are carefully cultivated and tended through summer to produce the tight, abundant domes of little flowers gardeners prize in autumn.
    — Alexandra Jones, The Spruce, 30 Aug. 2026
  • King tends to diminish herself physically, curling her shoulders in a dramatic hunch.
    — Laura Preston, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of tend
Verb
  • Bonnell also uses a belt drive as standard equipment for quieter, lower-maintenance operation, with an optional 520 chain conversion available for riders who prefer a more traditional setup.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Ronaldinho drove Madonna onto the field at half-time of the World Cup final in a weird little buggy thing.
    — Nick Miller, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of drive

Phrases Containing run

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rums
run
runabout
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Cite this Entry

“Run.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/run. Accessed 3 Sep. 2026.

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Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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