runners

noun

plural of runner
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 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position and left eight men on base. — Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 27 Aug. 2026 Junk, ever a competitor, took the walk to the dugout having thrown just 69 pitches and leaving a pair of runners on base. — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026 Earlier in the game, Pratt failed to get a bunt down with two runners on base. — Will Sammon, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026 Cade Smith fanned Denzer Guzman and Adam Frazier with runners on second and third in the 10th for his 35th save, sealing the Guardians’ sixth straight win. — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026 After an infield single put runners on the corners with one out, Aranda beat out a double-play attempt allowing Vilade to score. — CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026 Vibram is targeting the territory between road and trail with an outsole compound designed for runners whose routes move across pavement, dirt, gravel and light trails. — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 20 Aug. 2026 Reliever Didier Fuentes entered for the Braves with runners on first and second and no outs. — Lamond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 20 Aug. 2026 For the game, the Giants managed just five hits, struck out 13 times and left nine runners on base, including two in both the top of the eighth and ninth innings. — Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 20 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for runners
  1. smugglers
  2. messengers
  3. couriers
Noun
  • Wong haunts the stories of the Floridian smugglers, connected to many of the feuds and undercover operations.
    — Rory Doherty, Time, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The new docuseries, ‘Monsters of God’, explores the underworld of reptile trafficking—one filled with exotic creatures, smugglers, drugs, weapons, special agents, and zoo connections.
    — ForbesTV, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of smugglers
Noun
  • Find the right messengers Local, trusted messengers outperform national campaigns, and the most recent Yale and George Mason polling suggests the field has been solving the wrong problem.
    — Jamil Wyne, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026
  • The ancient route was first traveled by hunter-gatherers, before being used by Indigenous traders, Inca messengers, Spanish colonists, and railway workers, among others.
    — Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 31 July 2026
Definition of messengers
Noun
  • And like the milkman, good-looking couriers delivering the coveted cooling relief became a source of jealousy for insecure husbands.
    — Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Official couriers carrying an imperial passport could exchange horses rapidly, allowing messages and travelers to move across the empire with remarkable speed.
    — Ethan Teekah, Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of couriers

Browse Nearby Words

runner
runners
running
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Runners.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/runners. Accessed 30 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 28

Why do we say 'break a leg'?
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All