1
as in finding
to come upon after searching, study, or effort
finally ran down the answer after hours of research
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dismissing
to express scornfully one's low opinion of
constantly running down the city's cultural life won't do anything to improve it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of running down
With the shot clock running down, Franklin passed the ball from the near mid-pool to Franklin positioned in front of the Beckman goal.
—
Dan Albano, Oc Register, 23 Jan. 2026
People just running down the street.
—Marci Robin, Allure, 23 Jan. 2026
The weapon then jammed and the attacker fled, running down the stairs, out onto the street, and disappearing into the dark.
—Literary Hub, 16 Jan. 2026
Her midi-length skirt kept the dazzle going with crystals running down the front and back of the revealing piece.
—Lara Walsh, InStyle, 14 Jan. 2026
The Panthers spent most of Saturday’s game (as well as their previous matchup with the Rams) devising ways to get McMillan and Coker running down the field against those small corners.
—Derrik Klassen, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2026
Wet dress rehearsal testing will be carved up into runs, with the first occurring 49 hours ahead of the target test T-0 time with teams getting called to their launch support stations running down to T-90 seconds.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2026
The first few generations of those devices had subpar cameras compared to standard, non-folding phones and a visible crease running down the middle, among other shortcomings.
—Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 5 Jan. 2026
For more than 50 years, the harrowing Vietnam War image, which shows a nine-year-old girl named Kim Phúc running down a road naked, her clothes burned off in a napalm attack, has been credited to an Associated Press photographer named Nick Út.
—Maria Fontoura, Rolling Stone, 7 Nov. 2025
Dan Albano, Oc Register, 23 Jan. 2026
People just running down the street.
—Marci Robin, Allure, 23 Jan. 2026
The weapon then jammed and the attacker fled, running down the stairs, out onto the street, and disappearing into the dark.
—Literary Hub, 16 Jan. 2026
Her midi-length skirt kept the dazzle going with crystals running down the front and back of the revealing piece.
—Lara Walsh, InStyle, 14 Jan. 2026
The Panthers spent most of Saturday’s game (as well as their previous matchup with the Rams) devising ways to get McMillan and Coker running down the field against those small corners.
—Derrik Klassen, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2026
Wet dress rehearsal testing will be carved up into runs, with the first occurring 49 hours ahead of the target test T-0 time with teams getting called to their launch support stations running down to T-90 seconds.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2026
The first few generations of those devices had subpar cameras compared to standard, non-folding phones and a visible crease running down the middle, among other shortcomings.
—Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 5 Jan. 2026
For more than 50 years, the harrowing Vietnam War image, which shows a nine-year-old girl named Kim Phúc running down a road naked, her clothes burned off in a napalm attack, has been credited to an Associated Press photographer named Nick Út.
—Maria Fontoura, Rolling Stone, 7 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for running down
Verb
-
Los Angeles’s tight ends’ success in finding paydirt against Seattle could come into play again this week.—
Josh Shepardson,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
-
The idea behind genetic genealogy is to take DNA from a crime scene and enter it into a publicly accessible genealogy DNA database in hopes of finding a close enough match to relatives of the unknown perpetrator.—
Teri Figueroa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
While skepticism toward artificial intelligence is understandable, dismissing AI as inherently harmful overlooks both history and reality.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
27 Jan. 2026
-
If doubts appear from seemingly nowhere, make a point of uncovering their roots before dismissing them.—
Tarot.com,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
This letter is my heart and body learning now to sing.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Starting in the fall, every student in elementary and middle school in Beijing, and several other districts, began learning about AI.—
John Ruwitch,
NPR,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Once stationary, deactivate all lights except the hazard flashers, engage the emergency brake, and release the brake pedal to ensure your tail lights remain unlit, minimizing the chance of other drivers colliding with your stationary vehicle.—
Bay Area Weather Report,
Mercury News,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Jagaric notes that, aside from thongs, these are among the best seamless underwear options for comfort and for minimizing the risk of panty lines.—
Abby Morgan Lebet,
InStyle,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
In Panama, families will participate in a new Blink glamping experience on the San Blas Islands, working with the Guna community while exploring coral reefs, snorkeling with dolphins, and discovering the region’s unique ecosystems.—
Daniel Scheffler,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Over the next couple of years, the study authors followed a trail of bone fragments downslope for several meters, discovering more teeth and a series of larger bones from the upper body.—
K. R. Callaway,
Scientific American,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Forever captures the rush and confusion of first love without talking down to its audience.—
Okla Jones,
Essence,
14 Dec. 2025
-
Never met someone successful ever talking down to someone online.—
Tracy Wright,
FOXNews.com,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
But while the statement is getting a lot of attention, the far bigger story in Ottawa is the team’s diminishing playoff odds.—
Sean McIndoe,
New York Times,
12 Jan. 2026
-
The committee’s Democratic members savaged Rubio for diminishing America’s global role; the meeting grew so rancorous that Senator Jim Risch, a Republican from Idaho who was Rubio’s closest friend in the Senate, had to repeatedly bang his gavel to bring order.—
Dexter Filkins,
New Yorker,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
After locating handgun ammunition in the SUV, Burbank PD used a helicopter and police dog named Spike to locate Alas along a steep embankment along the freeway.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Officials have requested the public's help in locating the two men, and also shared CCTV footage showing what the men were wearing on New Year’s Day.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
5 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Running down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/running%20down. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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