1
as in smugglers
a person who imports or exports goods secretly and illegally
a drug runner
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in messengers
one that carries a message or does an errand
sent a runner to tell them that all was ready for the feast
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of runners
For those outings, runners cross from one side of the canyon and then back in a continuous push.
—
Outside, 10 Mar. 2026
Israel threatened briefly in the bottom of the seventh, putting runners into scoring position, but could not cash in.
—Noah Gulley, Miami Herald, 9 Mar. 2026
Thatch is the layer of dead grass, old runners, stems, and organic matter that builds up between the grass canopy and the soil surface.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 9 Mar. 2026
Sophomore catcher Lillyana Crawford caught 12 runners stealing last season.
—Rick Armstrong, Chicago Tribune, 9 Mar. 2026
More than 27,000 runners are expected to descend upon Los Angeles for the 2026 LA Marathon on Sunday, running more than two dozen miles across the city in what will be uncharacteristically balmy weather.
—Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 8 Mar. 2026
This year’s race drew 27,000 runners, beginning at Dodger Stadium and ending on Santa Monica Boulevard at the Avenue of the Stars in Century City.
—Steve Galluzzo, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2026
Twenty five seconds after the four runners had made the wrong turn, the original officer assigned to work the intersection returned.
—Kevin Dotson, CNN Money, 4 Mar. 2026
Swap plain runners for patterned or textured styles for a polished finish.
—Sarah Lyon, The Spruce, 3 Mar. 2026
Outside, 10 Mar. 2026
Israel threatened briefly in the bottom of the seventh, putting runners into scoring position, but could not cash in.
—Noah Gulley, Miami Herald, 9 Mar. 2026
Thatch is the layer of dead grass, old runners, stems, and organic matter that builds up between the grass canopy and the soil surface.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 9 Mar. 2026
Sophomore catcher Lillyana Crawford caught 12 runners stealing last season.
—Rick Armstrong, Chicago Tribune, 9 Mar. 2026
More than 27,000 runners are expected to descend upon Los Angeles for the 2026 LA Marathon on Sunday, running more than two dozen miles across the city in what will be uncharacteristically balmy weather.
—Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 8 Mar. 2026
This year’s race drew 27,000 runners, beginning at Dodger Stadium and ending on Santa Monica Boulevard at the Avenue of the Stars in Century City.
—Steve Galluzzo, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2026
Twenty five seconds after the four runners had made the wrong turn, the original officer assigned to work the intersection returned.
—Kevin Dotson, CNN Money, 4 Mar. 2026
Swap plain runners for patterned or textured styles for a polished finish.
—Sarah Lyon, The Spruce, 3 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for runners
Noun
-
Inspectors roam elaborate tunnels used by tomb raiders and smugglers over different eras.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Eastern Libya has become a key launch point for smugglers, undercutting years of EU efforts to curb departures and making Crete a new pressure point.—
LEFTERIS PITARAKIS,
Arkansas Online,
1 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Crockett began to cultivate a national profile with a prime-time speech at the 2024 Democratic National Convention and has since become one of her party’s most popular messengers, using an often brash communication style to manufacture viral moments.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Cytokines are the immune system’s chemical messengers that fire up immune cells and tell them to fight invaders, like bacteria and viruses.—
Sonya Collins,
SELF,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Wellington said the victim was persuaded to convert assets into gold and provided it to individuals who posed as couriers.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Victims were then instructed to withdraw their savings, purchase gold bars, and hand them over to couriers.—
Daniel Wilkerson,
CBS News,
25 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Runners.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/runners. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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