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
And the running game is going to be explosive. Daniel Popper, New York Times, 21 May 2026 The Evans offensive line, having blocked for the running game almost extensively last season, is still trying to gather its collective feet in the area of pass blocking. Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 May 2026
Noun
Here is a running list of upcoming festivals and events centered around soccer this summer. Olivia Wakim, AJC.com, 28 May 2026 Soler’s limited running ability burned the Angels in the second inning on Wednesday night. Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 28 May 2026
Verb
Michael Carbonara of Southwest Ranches has been running for Congress for more than a year. Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 30 May 2026 The inaugural marathon under Burke’s stewardship took place in 1986, and 11,000 racers toed the starting line, nearly half the size of the long-running and world-famous New York City Marathon that same year. James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for running
Recent Examples of Synonyms for running
Adjective
  • True, some if the upside surprise has come from non-operating gains on holdings in huge, private AI pioneers, but not all of it.
    Michael Santoli, CNBC, 2 June 2026
  • Exxon operates some of the wells directly and holds a financial, non-operating interest in the others.
    Rachel Nostrant, Houston Chronicle, 26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • State health departments will continue to conduct daily symptom monitoring, as well as 24/7 continuous oversight of each person, and provide guidance through the remainder of the 42-day monitoring period, which will end June 21.
    Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 2 June 2026
  • Each boasts a spacious open floor plan commingling indoors and outdoors over a single, continuous space.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
Noun
  • In the 2024-2025 fiscal year, the agency had $500 million for forest management and fire prevention that was not directly tied to cap-and-invest or the bond — up from about $65 million two decades prior.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2026
  • Her intellectual property and brand management company, TAS Rights Management, filed trademark applications covering short audio clips of her voice and her visual likeness.
    Daryl Lim, Fortune, 30 May 2026
Adverb
  • Most recently, analysis of pollen trapped in the ship’s waterproofing layers have yielded insight into repairs made successively in other locations throughout the Adriatic Sea, according to a paper published in the journal Frontiers in Materials.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 2 May 2026
  • Thanks to the South's long growing season, many crops, such as beans, can be planted and harvested successively over a longer period of time.
    Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 12 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • His training was jogging on a treadmill for two miles and maybe getting eight to 10 miles a week.
    Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2026
  • On Sunday, May 17, Kate Middleton's younger sister was seen jogging at Kintbury 5, a five-mile run put together by Kintbury St Mary's Primary School near Hungerford, according to the Daily Mail.
    Paloma Chavez, PEOPLE, 19 May 2026
Verb
  • How about flying a chopper over the Great Barrier Reef from the on-site helipad?
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
  • Beside her, the dog shakes itself, droplets flying from it, then fixes her with an appraising gaze.
    Maggie O’Farrell, Literary Hub, 2 June 2026
Verb
  • Some riders were mounted, while others were leading horses by hand when the startled animals broke free, the outlet said.
    Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 1 June 2026
  • Many people still see the company as that, but the truth is that SpaceX went from nothing to the leading orbital launch provider on the planet in a remarkably short time.
    David Szondy May 31, New Atlas, 31 May 2026
Verb
  • Talent that has the savvy to sell the company’s products—ranging from customer clouds and AI agents to Slack—is at the forefront of the business’ hiring agenda.
    Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 28 May 2026
  • Chloé is part of Swiss luxury giant Richemont, owner of brands ranging from Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels to Dunhill.
    Miles Socha, Footwear News, 28 May 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Running.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/running. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on running

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