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

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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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Children's Protective Services is investigating after police said three children were found in a non-running car in Redford Township, Michigan, on Thursday, when the area was under a heat advisory. — Nick Lentz, CBS News, 13 June 2026 The objective will be to improve a running game that ranked 25th in the NFL last season and 28th in yards after contract. — Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 4 June 2026
Noun
England’s Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham (six goals each) are not yet out of the running, while France’s Ousmane Dembele and Spain’s Mikel Oyarzabal (five each) could, theoretically at least, overtake the top two. — Dan Sheldon, New York Times, 17 July 2026 Like Banks did the previous year, Lima (the brand's longest running angel) closed the show, dazzling the audience with her black lace lingerie and metallic tinsel angel wings. — Morgan Evans, USA Today, 16 July 2026
Verb
Enterprises and public institutions are running pilots and proofs of concept at a dizzying pace. — Nigel Vaz, Time, 20 July 2026 What can go wrong in the aorta The aorta is the body's largest artery, running from the heart down through the chest and abdomen. — Dr. Céline Gounder, CBS News, 13 July 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
  • 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
Definition of operating
Adjective
  • The robot immediately responds to the interruption and halts the operation, illustrating Unitree’s focus on continuous human-robot interaction and dynamic task adaptation.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 21 July 2026
  • Its large-capacity water tank is ideal for longer ironing sessions, providing up to 30 minutes of continuous steam.
    — BestReviews, Mercury News, 21 July 2026
Definition of continuous
Noun
  • The property is now run by Uncommon Hospitality, the management company owned by Tony and Nate.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 July 2026
  • Benjamin Greger, the former finance director for Mogul Vision, Burke’s management company, estimated that Burke generated more than $10 million in gross income between 2023 and 2025.
    — Madeline Morrison, NBC news, 22 July 2026
Definition of management
Adverb
  • The status had previously been renewed successively and, despite the move to end these protections, the State Department warns against traveling to either Haiti or Syria, citing widespread violence, crime, terrorism, and kidnapping.
    — Reuters, USA Today, 28 June 2026
  • Brazilian Carlos Alberto Parreira has the record number of World Cup appearances as a coach with six, but not successively.
    — Andrew Greif, NBC news, 16 June 2026
Definition of successively
Verb
  • High-intensity running also dropped, while jogging and walking increased.
    — Alan McCall, New York Times, 11 July 2026
  • His jogging dispatches have become a fixture on LinkedIn with nearly 50 running videos filmed in the past year.
    — Rachel Ventresca, Fortune, 5 July 2026
Definition of jogging
Verb
  • Breakker connected with a flying cross body over the barricade on Breakker as Cole talked up Evans developing an edge.
    — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
  • But years later, some of the highest-flying professional clubs have folded due to financial mismanagement, and dozens of soccer officials have been banned or imprisoned, and numerous teams ensnared in an anti-graft campaign.
    — Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 21 July 2026
Definition of flying
Verb
  • Photos from the excursion show Wells hanging out with what seem to be all-White friends, leading some to evoke harsh feelings about Mississippi’s fraught racial history and speculate about whether race played a role in his death.
    — Holly Yan, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
  • Even if Kylian Mbappe clinched the Golden Boot in the third-place play-off against England and surpassed him as the World Cup’s all-time leading scorer, many of the other all-time records in this competition belong to Messi.
    — James Horncastle, New York Times, 20 July 2026
Definition of leading
Verb
  • Events ranging from a baby parade in Flint, Michigan, to a rock concert in Herndon, Virginia, and the America’s Mile marathon in Pittsburgh were canceled Friday as smoke lingered.
    — Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 18 July 2026
  • In the 21st century, fashion collaborations, including the Boston silhouette took off, ranging from streetwear brands like Stüssy to designer names.
    — Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 17 July 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 23 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on running

Nglish: Translation of running for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about running

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