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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
as in flowing
to move in a stream water running down the window

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
as in using
to control the mechanical operation of I know how to run that machine

Synonyms & Similar Words
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
as in melting
to go from a solid to a liquid state her makeup started to run when she got in the pool

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words
13
as in activating
to cause to function in olden days mills were run by flowing water

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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
That running order is a statement in itself, giving streaming audiences the biggest crossover match and a title bout during the ESPN window. — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026 The difference between Denver’s running game with Dobbins (Weeks 1 to 10) and without him (Week 11 through the end of the season) has been well documented. — Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 19 June 2026
Noun
He’s become known in the local running community for his outgoing nature. — Anya Armentrout, Twin Cities, 4 July 2026 Atlanta Track Club, which oversees the annual race in its 57th running, had sent out a red flag alert Thursday, and people largely heeded the warnings by coming hydrated and ready to run. — Rodney Ho, AJC.com, 4 July 2026
Verb
Hamilton’s hot fundraising start came after building anticipation for a campaign launch with a statewide listening tour where the founding pastor of the nation’s largest United Methodist church openly entertained running as an independent. — Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 6 July 2026 In addition to transforming David Cassidy into a teen idol, the series also launched the long-running showbiz careers of his onscreen siblings, Susan Dey and Danny Bonaduce. — Will Harris, Entertainment Weekly, 6 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
  • Electronic logging devices, which have been mandatory in most commercial vehicles since 2017, capture continuous records of driver hours and location that are often the most important evidence in a serious truck case.
    — Karen Koehler, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 July 2026
  • For example, telecommunication companies are elevating equipment above flood lines and equipping cell sites with backup batteries to ensure continuous operation during and after major storms.
    — Sylvain Johansson, Fortune, 7 July 2026
Definition of continuous
Noun
  • Last week, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration sent regulatory priorities to the nation’s regional fishery councils, which environmentalists say reveal a direct attack on fishery management and ocean conservation.
    — Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
  • This necessitates a fundamental shift in corporate risk management.
    — Anjana Susarla, Forbes.com, 9 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
  • Nearby in Tribeca the same day, Kelce was spotted jogging solo through the streets.
    — Kathleen Perricone, Entertainment Weekly, 1 July 2026
  • Kelce apparently also is in New York, as a fan shared a photo said to be of him jogging.
    — Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 1 July 2026
Definition of jogging
Verb
  • At the heart of every Freak is its distinctive flying carousel architecture.
    — Anthony DeMarco, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
  • Surveillance footage captured by a camera on the affected home, shared by Avila's daughter Jennifer Barbour on Facebook, shows the vehicle flying off the road before striking the home.
    — Greta Cross, USA Today, 7 July 2026
Definition of flying
Verb
  • Some Cuba watchers are skeptical Rodríguez Castro could assume a leading role in the official government.
    — Romina Ruiz-Goiriena, USA Today, 6 July 2026
  • Michael Nagle | Bloomberg | Getty Images Defense heavyweight Lockheed Martin is leading the race to buy naval defense group Ultra Maritime, CNBC has learned.
    — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 6 July 2026
Definition of leading
Verb
  • Factor meals are made with health-conscious ingredients that can cater to your dietary needs, ranging from Keto to vegan and beyond.
    — Rachel Cortez, USA Today, 4 July 2026
  • The setup can scan an area measuring 200 by 200 micrometers at heights ranging from 50 to 450 micrometers above the surface.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 July 2026
Definition of ranging

Phrases Containing running

Browse Nearby Words

runners
running
running across
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Running.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/running. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on running

Nglish: Translation of running for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about 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

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of tacit

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

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

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

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
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
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All