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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
She was hired to do the promotional photography and run social media for the show, and soon enough, the two were renovating a home of their own. — Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026 The most successful political party in the world—the Communist Party of China (CPC)—has 100 million members and aims to be running the strongest state on earth by 2049. — Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2026
Noun
Seymour walked Patrick Bailey to force in one run and hit Angel Martínez with a pitch to force in another. — Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026 Judge data centers on how well they’re designed, powered, sited and run. — Adhum Carter Wolde-Lule, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
Verb
Last October, a Waymo ran over and killed KitKat, beloved longtime denizen of Randa’s Market, a liquor store. — Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026 Those who thought the Los Angeles Dodgers and their massive payroll were going to waltz into Milwaukee and run over the Brewers were wrong. — Sean Joseph Outkick, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2026
Verb
Other streamers are supposed to run only age-appropriate ads, but some parents have reported scary or mature ads popping up on kids’ stuff. — Emily Palmer Heller, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2026 She was hired to do the promotional photography and run social media for the show, and soon enough, the two were renovating a home of their own. — Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 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
  • Almost immediately after the singer concluded, both teams jogged back onto the floor.
    — Dan Zaksheske OutKick, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Snell jogged back to the mound with a lead for the first time.
    — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of jog
Verb
  • The case centers on the Cuban government shooting down two Brothers to the Rescue flights, a civilian rescue group dedicated to saving refugees fleeing the authoritarian Castro regime — then run by Raul Castro’s older brother Fidel.
    — Liv Caputo Herald, Miami Herald, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Several reports say the attackers arrived on a motorcycle and fled after firing.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of flee
Verb
  • Yet Tajul Islam Abdul Bari, who led immunization in Bangladesh until 2017, said campaigns usually demand months of planning.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2026
  • OpenAI has reportedly floated the idea of giving the government up to a 5% stake in the company and suggested other leading AI companies do the same.
    — Sarah Cannon, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of lead
Verb
  • While performance varies with outdoor temperatures, heat pumps can deliver substantially more useful heat per unit of energy purchased than conventional electric resistance heating.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Depending on your Galaxy model and Gallery version, the exact location of the tagging controls may vary.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of vary
Verb
  • The question confronting Israel and its international partners is not simply whether money should flow into Gaza, but also who controls it—and whether the next arrangement will avoid the failures of the last.
    — Eric Cortellessa, Time, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The program could also be targeted rather than universal — triggered by sector-specific unemployment spikes, income level, or geography, so the money flows first to the workers AI disrupts most.
    — Sarah Cannon, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of flow
Verb
  • While an ordinary walk might leave her mind racing toward work, looking for a particular color gave it something else to do, effectively putting all that other mental chatter on mute.
    — Angela Haupt, Time, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Together, the symbols represent more than 280 years of racing history and state pride, officials say.
    — Adam Thompson, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of race
Verb
  • Higher diesel prices – essential to transporting goods and agricultural production – tend to drive up costs across the wider economy and fuel inflation.
    — Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 17 Oct. 2026
  • That his arguments and those made by the current administration against immigrants tend in a totalitarian direction cannot be denied.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of tend
Verb
  • Zuckerberg and Wang want Muse Wonder and the more powerful Muse Wonder Full to drive Muse, Meta’s personal AI agent, which can act on people’s behalf.
    — Molly A. Wallace, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
  • To help banish the endless procrastination, National Geographic’s 2027 list of 25 must-visit destinations for the year ahead is one of its most timely and experience-driven recommendations yet.
    — Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of drive

Phrases Containing run

Browse Nearby Words

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 22 Oct. 2026.

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