RUNAWAY Synonyms: 158 Similar and Opposite Words

run away 1 of 3

verb

Definition of run away

as in to escape

to get free from a dangerous or confining situation ran away from an unhappy marriage

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to retreat

to hasten away from something dangerous or frightening the child runs away from large dogs

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

runaway

2 of 3

adjective

as in rampant

showing no signs of being under control a region plagued by runaway suburban sprawl

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

runaway

3 of 3

noun

as in sweep

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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 run away

Verb

The would-be thief then fell to the ground before running away. — Jeramie Bizzle, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026 But, according to Jazmin, Nora had jumped out of the car at an intersection and started running away. — Connor Sheets, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026

Adjective

The runaway bull market since the end of 2022 has made taxable losses pretty scarce. — Josh Brown,sean Russo, CNBC, 14 Sep. 2026 In that incident, a runaway truck struck Enbridge’s Line 5 at a valve site, triggering a natural-gas-liquids spill. — Caitlin Looby, jsonline.com, 10 Sep. 2026

Noun

Van Dokkum was not involved in the study but did lead the 2023 team that found the potential runaway with a tail of stars. — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 29 July 2026 And police are more likely to classify a missing Black person as a runaway, leaving the case unreported, Moore said. — Chris Boyette, CNN Money, 25 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for run away

Recent Examples of Synonyms for run away

Verb

Others fled the country entirely to escape persecution and to find new work as the economy collapsed.

— Andrew Nachemson, The Dial, 22 Sep. 2026
This type of maritime migration is different from the once-common arrivals of rafts and other homemade vessels that Cubans are known to use to escape their homeland, and the overloaded freighters and sailboats used by people fleeing Haiti.

— David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of escape

Verb

Treasury yields retreated from a two-decade high as traders pared bets on further Fed tightening after last month's rate hike.

— Anniek Bao, CNBC, 22 Sep. 2026
The North Korean soldiers retreated after the South broadcast audio warnings and fired the shots and there were no clashes.

— ABC News, ABC News, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of retreat

Adjective

Antje Lauer, a professor in the biology department at Cal State Bakersfield — who has also studied valley fever and the cocci virus for decades — said the focus shouldn’t be on rodents, but on the rampant construction taking place in Bakersfield.

— Susanne Rust Follow, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026
The high-profile death in a Deep South state with a history of racial tension has sparked rampant speculation and suspicion.

— ABC News, ABC News, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of rampant

Verb

After three minutes of trying to smash into the ATM and get money, the burglars gave up and fled the scene as soon as police arrived, the employee said.

— Blake Tyson, CBS News, 21 Sep. 2026
Even more distasteful was their decision to flee to a country home while costarring in the movie 21 Days, essentially abandoning Olivier’s son and Leigh’s daughter, Suzanne.

— Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of flee

Verb

The second launch flew from North Korea's east coast toward the northeast, flying about 590 km, or about 366 miles, and falling into the Sea of Japan, the ministry said.

— Jessica Gorman, ABC News, 20 Sep. 2026
On its nine-day Indonesia Odyssey (about $70,000 per person, not including international airfare), guests fly to Bali and check into Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve.

— Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 20 Sep. 2026

Definition of fly

Adjective

Those tests have covered both controlled and uncontrolled airspace.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 18 Sep. 2026
The United Nations Environment Program estimates that more than 90% of waste generated in Africa is disposed of at uncontrolled dumpsites and landfills, often with associated open burning.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of uncontrolled

Noun

Each team's lone victory this season came in blowout fashion over West Georgia of the lower-tier Football Championship Subdivision.

— Michael Harley, Arkansas Online, 23 Sep. 2026
YouTube and TikTok connected me to tutorial videos, teaching me how to achieve a blowout and a silk-ish press that lasted one day.

— Rachel Cook Northway, Vogue, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of blowout

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runaround

run away

runaway

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Style

“Run away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/run%20away. Accessed 25 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of run away

verb

adjective

noun

Example Sentences

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