rundown 1 of 3

noun

ˈrən-ˌdau̇n How to pronounce rundown (audio)
Definition of rundownnext
as in summary
a short statement of the main points a rundown of the suspect's lengthy police record

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run-down

2 of 3

adjective

ˈrən-ˈdau̇n How to pronounce run-down (audio)
1
as in dilapidated
showing signs of advanced wear and tear and neglect a run-down old house that really should be torn down

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2
as in sick
temporarily suffering from a disorder of the body I'm afraid I'll be staying home today as I'm feeling run-down

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run down

3 of 3

verb

1
as in to find
to come upon after searching, study, or effort finally ran down the answer after hours of research

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2
as in to dismiss
to express scornfully one's low opinion of constantly running down the city's cultural life won't do anything to improve it

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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 rundown
Noun
Read on for a complete rundown, based on the very latest events. — David Phelan, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026 Welcome to Sportico’s transactions wire, a weekly rundown of personnel, partnerships and products across the sports business industry. — Sportico Staff, Sportico.com, 10 July 2026
Adjective
But the film is really a tour of a pre-gentrified East Village, full of low-key bars and cafes, run-down apartments, eccentrics and struggling artists. — Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2026 Read the full run-down in our guide to the Best Pool Cleaning Robots. — Kat Merck, Wired News, 5 June 2026
Verb
The logic runs down the rest of the stack too, to the companies that supply the chips, the networking, and the electricity, the layers that get paid first when capacity is the thing in short supply. — Jon Markman, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026 Have fun walking up and running down the dunes with your pup, but be mindful of the heat and elevation to avoid overdoing it. — Rebecca R. Norris, USA Today, 29 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for rundown
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rundown
  1. summary
  2. dilapidated
  3. sick
  4. find
  5. dismiss
  6. neglected
  7. poorly
  8. learn
Noun
  • The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists.
    — Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 14 July 2026
  • The request form asks for a person’s name, contact information, residence and summary about the neighborly dispute.
    — Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 July 2026
Definition of summary
Adjective
  • Its current chapter as a travel venue is helmed by the Greene family, who bought the property in 2000 and began to restore it from a dilapidated state.
    — Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 12 July 2026
  • Back at the dilapidated family home, Edgar grows even surlier, lashing into gentle-natured Joe for being an under-achiever compared to his brother and causing Thya to become apprehensive about Ed’s proximity to sharp objects.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 8 July 2026
Definition of dilapidated
Adjective
  • If a sick animal did end up at a slaughterhouse, the US Department of Agriculture’s thorough meat inspection system would very likely spot it, separate it from others and deem it US Suspect.
    — Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 5 July 2026
  • But when McGinley was a teen-ager, Michael became sick with AIDS and moved home to New Jersey.
    — Chris Wiley, New Yorker, 4 July 2026
Definition of sick
Verb
  • Gas stations across Russia are imposing limits on purchases, CNN’s analysis found, with fuel- tracking websites popping up to guide drivers to the best spots to fill up.
    — Clare Sebastian, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
  • The incident happened less than a week after another child was found dead inside a car at a Plantation early learning center last Monday.
    — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 6 July 2026
Definition of find
Verb
  • The case had not gone to trial yet, and the charges were dismissed Wednesday as a result of his death, records show.
    — Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 July 2026
  • He was charged with vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and DUI causing injury, but the second charge was later dismissed after the substances tested for were not found to be present in his blood, the statement at the time read.
    — Adam England, PEOPLE, 15 July 2026
Definition of dismiss
Adjective
  • Investors and analysts are increasingly looking to other parts of the market, both to find neglected sources of value and to start assuming a defensive posture against a possible downturn.
    — Tobias Burns, CNBC, 16 July 2026
  • Changing their environment is more reliable and more neglected.
    — Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026
Definition of neglected
Adjective
  • This fragmented model creates friction and quietly drains profitability through unbilled hours, margin erosion from poorly staffed projects and elevated turnover when top talent hits operational roadblocks.
    — DJ Paoni, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
  • For however poorly things are going — and the bad tone set by the starters has leaked into some defensive lapses and some pressing at the plate — the Padres got themselves into a really favorable position before this.
    — Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Sep. 2025
Definition of poorly
Verb
  • Redefining what support looks like for Atlanta mothers Atlanta fashion model applies lessons learned as a young mom.
    — Adam Van Brimmer, AJC.com, 17 July 2026
  • At the heart of the system are Large Behavior Models (LBMs) and Diffusion Policy, AI techniques that allow robots to learn complex manipulation and decision-making skills instead of following rigid, pre-programmed workflows.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 16 July 2026
Definition of learn

Browse Nearby Words

rundlets
rundown
run-down
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Cite this Entry

“Rundown.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rundown. Accessed 17 Jul. 2026.

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