1
as in smugglers
a person who imports or exports goods secretly and illegally
a drug runner
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
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 runners
The Royals finished 0-for-2 with runners in scoring position (RISP) Thursday and left five men on base.
—
Kansas City Star,
3 July 2026
Colorado put its first two runners on base in its half of the fifth, the second on an error by Sanoja at second, before Moniak came up with two outs and tripled into the right-center-field gap to move Colorado back ahead 3-2.
—
Miami Herald,
2 July 2026
Browse the sale section for up to 40% off lightweight trail runners, active sandals, and breathable hiking shoes available at a discount through July 21, 2026.
—
Madison Flager,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 July 2026
Shuffling the opposition across to make space for a switch to the far side is a viable method of attack, but that can then come at the cost of a central box presence, with Portugal lacking runners beyond the ball.
—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
2 July 2026
This is known among runners as positive splitting, where the first half of the race is run faster than the second half.
—
Claire Maldarelli,
Scientific American,
2 July 2026
More than 11,000 runners entered a lottery for fewer than 400 spots in the 100-mile Western States Endurance Run.
—
Jack Dolan,
Los Angeles Times,
2 July 2026
The Braves had runners on second and third with two outs in the second before King retired Jorge Mateo.
—
CBS News,
23 June 2026
For two one-day periods in June and July, OpenStreetsPGH, hosted by Bike Pittsburgh, will shut down areas in Pittsburgh that typically see busy traffic to allow cyclists, runners and walkers and other pedestrians to take over the roads.
—
Finch Walker,
USA Today,
23 June 2026
Kansas City Star,
3 July 2026
Colorado put its first two runners on base in its half of the fifth, the second on an error by Sanoja at second, before Moniak came up with two outs and tripled into the right-center-field gap to move Colorado back ahead 3-2.
—
Miami Herald,
2 July 2026
Browse the sale section for up to 40% off lightweight trail runners, active sandals, and breathable hiking shoes available at a discount through July 21, 2026.
—
Madison Flager,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 July 2026
Shuffling the opposition across to make space for a switch to the far side is a viable method of attack, but that can then come at the cost of a central box presence, with Portugal lacking runners beyond the ball.
—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
2 July 2026
This is known among runners as positive splitting, where the first half of the race is run faster than the second half.
—
Claire Maldarelli,
Scientific American,
2 July 2026
More than 11,000 runners entered a lottery for fewer than 400 spots in the 100-mile Western States Endurance Run.
—
Jack Dolan,
Los Angeles Times,
2 July 2026
The Braves had runners on second and third with two outs in the second before King retired Jorge Mateo.
—
CBS News,
23 June 2026
For two one-day periods in June and July, OpenStreetsPGH, hosted by Bike Pittsburgh, will shut down areas in Pittsburgh that typically see busy traffic to allow cyclists, runners and walkers and other pedestrians to take over the roads.
—
Finch Walker,
USA Today,
23 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for runners
Noun
-
Sistan-Baluchistan, which borders Pakistan and Afghanistan, has long seen clashes between security forces, insurgents and drug smugglers.
-
For example, when Rhode Islanders complained about how the British ship Gaspee was attacking their ships without mercy in its hunt for smugglers, the Royal Navy waved away the colonial government.
Noun
-
The body uses omega-3s as building blocks and chemical messengers that help reduce inflammation, among other benefits.
-
Democratic leaders around the country aren't going to copy-and-paste New York City politics, but these results do reinforce that many Democratic voters are demanding a more aggressive message and messengers.
Noun
-
According to Liu, the logistics provider had signed contracts with about 120 schools in China to retrain its army of couriers for new work such as repairing and maintaining robots.
-
Darnell and Sanchez also targeted other Empyreal Logistics couriers in Denver and in Northern Colorado.
Cite this Entry
“Runners.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/runners. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
