as in creek
a natural body of running water smaller than a river
the fugitive made use of local runnels to throw the bloodhounds off his scent
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Recent Examples of runnel
Water fun will be a big draw, whether observing the natural pond-like runnel feature or the chutes of tumbling water and inch-deep pools safe to play in.
—
Dallas News, 15 Apr. 2022
Designed by Louis Kahn for Jonas Salk, who created the polio vaccine, the complex sits on a shelf above the Pacific, a symmetrical white piazza flanked by buildings that are angled like a theater’s wings and bisected by a narrow runnel.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 15 Mar. 2021
In summer, runoff from cloudbursts etches into the softer limestones and sluices through the deep runnels.
—National Geographic, 19 Aug. 2019
The road ran like a twisty runnel through fuchsia hedges and bright fields of buttercups and cow parsley, up to a pass among the 3,000-foot Slieve Mish mountains.
—New York Times, 12 Aug. 2019
Dallas News, 15 Apr. 2022
Designed by Louis Kahn for Jonas Salk, who created the polio vaccine, the complex sits on a shelf above the Pacific, a symmetrical white piazza flanked by buildings that are angled like a theater’s wings and bisected by a narrow runnel.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 15 Mar. 2021
In summer, runoff from cloudbursts etches into the softer limestones and sluices through the deep runnels.
—National Geographic, 19 Aug. 2019
The road ran like a twisty runnel through fuchsia hedges and bright fields of buttercups and cow parsley, up to a pass among the 3,000-foot Slieve Mish mountains.
—New York Times, 12 Aug. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for runnel
Noun
-
The dry creek isn’t just decorative.—
Caron Golden,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Sep. 2025
-
Locally heavy rain will quickly reduce visibility and result in ponding of water on roadways, standing water in low lying areas, and minor flooding of creeks, streams, and areas of poor drainage.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The original one, fed by a nearby brook, has been out of commission for decades, and two others, installed by the current owners, haven’t been used in several years.—
Kim Velsey,
Curbed,
27 Aug. 2025
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Connected blocks created a bridge across a brook and carried lightweight objects.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Runnel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/runnel. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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