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running 1 of 4

adjective

Definition of runningnext
1
as in operating
being in effective operation the car has been running for almost an entire day

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in continuous
going on and on without any interruptions a running struggle just to make ends meet

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

running

2 of 4

noun

ˈrə-niŋ How to pronounce running (audio)
as in management
the act or activity of looking after and making decisions about something left the running of the corporation to his subordinates

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running

3 of 4

adverb

as in successively
in succession without others coming in between he won the championship five times running

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

running

4 of 4

verb

present participle of run
1
as in jogging
to go at a pace faster than a walk we ran all the way to the bus stop, but still missed the bus

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in flying
to hasten away from something dangerous or frightening rather than run from a black bear, it's better to hold your ground and make lots of noise

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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

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

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5
as in flowing
to move in a stream water running down the window

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in racing
to proceed or move quickly run and get the nurse

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

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

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9
as in using
to control the mechanical operation of I know how to run that machine

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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

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11
as in melting
to go from a solid to a liquid state her makeup started to run when she got in the pool

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12
as in managing
to look after and make decisions about learning to run the family business

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13
as in activating
to cause to function in olden days mills were run by flowing water

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

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15
as in traveling
to come or be together as friends he's been running with a bad crowd lately

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16
as in chasing
to go after or on the track of if that dog continues to run cars, he's going to get seriously hurt

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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
Quarterback Brock Purdy, who said being able to time the snap with all the 49ers’ pre-snap motion takes hours of study time before each game, noticed a focus on improving the running game throughout the offseason program. — Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 17 Sep. 2026 The insoles fit most running shoes, but can be trimmed for a proper fit. — Kaitlin Gates, Travel + Leisure, 17 Sep. 2026
Noun
Nike’s running business has been a bright spot for the Swoosh during recent quarters, and the company is doubling down on the category with a slate of new shoes. — Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 30 Sep. 2026 The Detroit Lions' offense is built around big plays in both the passing and running games. — CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026
Verb
One of them, Marsha Blackburn, is running for governor of Tennessee. — ABC News, 26 Sep. 2026 When that happens, tossing it on the countertop or running the package under warm water might feel like the quickest fix. — Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 26 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for running
Recent Examples of Synonyms for running
  1. operating
  2. continuous
  3. management
  4. successively
  5. jogging
  6. flying
  7. leading
  8. ranging
Adjective
  • That sits on the books of the league’s 32 Equity investment arm, and 1/32 of any gains or losses in the entity flow through the Packers’ non-operating income.
    — Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 24 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of operating
Adjective
  • The rest is active translation, trust-building and continuous alignment.
    — Maayan Aviv, Forbes.com, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory analyzed the continuous recordings to establish a long-term acoustic reference for the region.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of continuous
Noun
  • In a brief, however, Suncor and Exxon argue that management of interstate and international greenhouse gas emissions lies with the federal government, not with the states.
    — Callie Patteson, The Washington Examiner, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Red Lobster emerged from its 2024 bankruptcy in a lightning-fast three months and is now under the management of Damola Adamolekun, who was 35 at his appointment and the chain’s youngest-ever CEO.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of management
Adverb
  • Their concentrations then increase at successively higher trophic levels (levels of the food chain) as organisms consume contaminated prey.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Samsung has successively shaved a few millimeters off every year, taking a leap last year with the Z Fold 7.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of successively
Verb
  • More energetic outdoor activities include swimming in the saltwater pool, walking or jogging on the Deck 15 track, paddle tennis, golf cages, and a mini-golf course.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Sep. 2026
  • The South African Police Service has issued a public warning for women to be cautious when doing activities like jogging in the area.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of jogging
Verb
  • The move would allow milder, natural kratom products to continue flying under regulatory radar.
    — Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 30 Sep. 2026
  • SpaceX wants to ensure that everything works before flying Starship back to Starbase.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of flying
Verb
  • Leonard — hoping to move past a turbulent end to his Los Angeles Clippers tenure — has been traded back to Toronto, after leading the Raptors to the 2019 NBA title.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Sep. 2026
  • Madonna is leading the pack with 13 nods (the only other star to have reached this historic nomination count is Lady Gaga), followed by Taylor Swift with 11, Sabrina Carpenter with nine, and Ariana Grande with eight.
    — Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of leading
Verb
  • Nearly 215,000 other tickets sold in the United States also won prizes ranging from $10 to $100,000 in the drawing, the lottery said.
    — Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Running through March 27, the show explores a range of cultural, social, and economic messaging inserted in the genre through 52 artworks ranging from the 1970s to present day.
    — Damaly Gonzalez, ARTnews.com, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of ranging

Phrases Containing running

Browse Nearby Words

runners
running
running across
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Cite this Entry

“Running.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/running. Accessed 2 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on running

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about running

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