running 1 of 4

Definition of runningnext
1
2

running

2 of 4

noun

running

3 of 4

adverb

running

4 of 4

verb

present participle of run
1
2
3
as in leading
to be positioned along a certain course or in a certain direction the road runs along the river for a while

Synonyms & Similar Words

4
as in ranging
to occur within a continuous range of variation the electric bill runs between 30 and 50 dollars a month

Synonyms & Similar Words

5
6
7
as in tending
to show a liking or proneness (for something) unfortunately, members of his family run to fatness

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

8
as in driving
to urge, push, or force onward they ran the horses hard in order to get to the ranch quickly

Synonyms & Similar Words

9
10
as in becoming
to eventually have as a state or quality the poor woman ran herself ragged trying to care for all those children

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

11
12
13
14
as in costing
to have a price of that sort of computer runs at least several hundred dollars

Synonyms & Similar Words

15
16

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 running
Adjective
Richard Ruelas and Clara Migoya Outside Guthrie's red brick home, bird song was only interrupted by the hum of dozens of running engines from reporters' cars lining the street. Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 3 Feb. 2026 In a game where the ‘Hawks might try to slow things down with the running game, Stafford will come out guns blazing and dare Seattle to keep up. Bill Reinhard, New York Daily News, 22 Jan. 2026
Noun
The May December actress isn’t the only one styling her gym shoes for everyday wear—lately, Dakota Johnson, Kendall Jenner, and more celebrities are turning to sporty-chic running sneakers for all-day comfort. Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 11 Mar. 2026 Analysts noted that Nike’s running business, in particular, has been delivering impressive growth under Hill. Natasha Abellard, CNBC, 11 Mar. 2026
Verb
Barrett is running for Georgia secretary of state. Cassidy Alexander, AJC.com, 7 Mar. 2026 Try a slower pace for the first hour, and notice how patience steadies your focus and keeps distractions from running the show. Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 1 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for running
Recent Examples of Synonyms for running
Adjective
  • Last year, though revenue and operating profit increased, non-operating red ink pushed the company into a full-year loss of NT$766 million, or $25 million.
    Russell Flannery, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
  • The adjusted net income decreased by 8% y-o-y to $3.9 billion in the first nine months of 2022 due to higher expenses as a % of revenues and lower non-operating income.
    Trefis Team, Forbes, 11 Jan. 2023
Adjective
  • Judith Martin's Miss Manners column has chronicled the continuous rise and fall of American manners since 1978.
    Judith Martin, Dallas Morning News, 10 Mar. 2026
  • Extreme weather events such as flooding are also a continuous threat to farmers.
    Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 9 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Residents may require medication management and may have previously posed a potential risk to harm themselves or others, but any aggressive behavior must have occurred no less than six months prior to being admitted.
    Gabriela Vidal, CBS News, 7 Mar. 2026
  • Through its program on border management, anti-corruption and criminal justice, the office has been supporting Haitian institutions to address the broader issues that continue to fuel instability and violence in the country.
    Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2026
Adverb
  • Close to 40 years later, the quadruple toe loop has become normalized, appearing successively in more programs in each of the past four Games.
    Robert Samuels, Washington Post, 10 Feb. 2026
  • Not many entertainment studios can say they’re successively owned by a media company, a dialup power player, a media company again, a telecom megalith, a cable giant and a software scion.
    Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Farke, 49, was shown a red card by referee Peter Bankes after jogging onto the Elland Road pitch and confronting the match officials following the 1-0 defeat.
    Ali Rampling, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
  • Gripping the football with fingers covered in Filipino tribal tattoos extending in a sleeve up his arm, Koy looks across the expanse of emerald green turf at his son jogging toward the south end zone of the Inglewood stadium on a recent afternoon.
    Deputy Entertainment, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Keep reading to discover all the best fashion sneaker collaborations to scoop up this spring—they’re already flying.
    Kristina Rutkowski, Vogue, 10 Mar. 2026
  • According to Diio by Cirium data, the airline is flying more than 1,100 flights at the airport this month.
    Dallas Morning News, Dallas Morning News, 9 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Valkyrie’s presence also contributed to Edinburgh’s emergence as a leading robotics hub, supporting world-class research, thought leadership, and a growing ecosystem of robotics innovation and startups.
    Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 9 Mar. 2026
  • Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s most prominent political rival, Imamoglu stands accused by prosecutors of leading a criminal organization.
    Beril Akman, Bloomberg, 9 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • They were also ordered to pay fines ranging from about $6,300 to $34,000.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 13 Mar. 2026
  • These rollers sit on axis and can be pushed, pulled, and rolled to control various vehicle functions ranging from climate control fan speed and temperature to audio volume all with visuals displayed on the digital gauge cluster.
    Joel Feder, The Drive, 12 Mar. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Running.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/running. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on running

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!

More from Merriam-Webster