1
as in ejecting
to drive or force out
the dog often ran off cats and other animals that had intruded upon his owner's property
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in escaping
to get free from a dangerous or confining situation
their rebellious daughter's run off because she was disciplined again
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in flying
to hasten away from something dangerous or frightening
the mouse ran off as soon as it saw us
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 off
As Louderback was running off the field, he was told by several people, including MU coach Bob Stull, that there had been a fifth down.
—
Kansas City Star, 16 May 2026
Watering plants in pots takes much less time because all the water goes directly to the roots, instead of running off the soil surface.
—Steve Bender, Southern Living, 8 May 2026
The water running off the farm tested thousands of times higher than federal drinking water standards for forever chemicals.
—Dylan Jackson, ABC News, 6 May 2026
Rivas was 13 when she was last seen by her family earlier that month, prior to running off for the second time.
—Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 1 May 2026
That allows water to soak in more effectively instead of running off — a real benefit in suburban yards where soil compaction is common.
—Ryan Brennan
may 1, Miami Herald, 1 May 2026
By loosening that structure, dandelions help rainwater penetrate deeper rather than running off the surface.
—Ryan Brennan, Sacbee.com, 1 May 2026
This will allow rain to soak down into the aquifers, instead of running off into storm drains and into the ocean.
—Steve Scauzillo, Daily News, 24 Apr. 2026
One of the horses tripped over a curb and fell over, toppling over its rider before running off.
—Charlotte Observer, 11 Apr. 2026
Kansas City Star, 16 May 2026
Watering plants in pots takes much less time because all the water goes directly to the roots, instead of running off the soil surface.
—Steve Bender, Southern Living, 8 May 2026
The water running off the farm tested thousands of times higher than federal drinking water standards for forever chemicals.
—Dylan Jackson, ABC News, 6 May 2026
Rivas was 13 when she was last seen by her family earlier that month, prior to running off for the second time.
—Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 1 May 2026
That allows water to soak in more effectively instead of running off — a real benefit in suburban yards where soil compaction is common.
—Ryan Brennan
may 1, Miami Herald, 1 May 2026
By loosening that structure, dandelions help rainwater penetrate deeper rather than running off the surface.
—Ryan Brennan, Sacbee.com, 1 May 2026
This will allow rain to soak down into the aquifers, instead of running off into storm drains and into the ocean.
—Steve Scauzillo, Daily News, 24 Apr. 2026
One of the horses tripped over a curb and fell over, toppling over its rider before running off.
—Charlotte Observer, 11 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for running off
Verb
-
The car overturned and rolled several times, ejecting Reed, the CHP reported.—
City News Service,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 May 2026
-
The air crew is seen ejecting from the crafts and parachuting to the ground.—
Julia Gomez,
USA Today,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
And yet art-world institutions—including major museums, schools, commercial galleries, and publishing outlets—have mostly avoided the fawning capitulation of universities and Democrats, simply going quiet in the hope of escaping notice for the next three years.—
Katy Siegel,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
-
Seal gaps and cracks to prevent hot air from entering and cool air from escaping.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
2 June 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
-
The Browns entered the offseason looking for a replacement after dismissing Kevin Stefanski, and Schwartz quickly emerged as a leading candidate after overseeing one of the NFL's top defenses.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
3 June 2026
-
On May 20, an $850,000 settlement was reached in the case in exchange for dismissing the complaint, according to a news release by Terr’s organization FIRE, which represented Bushart.—
Drew Pittock,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
Between 2012 and 2015, Perry was also convicted of assault likely to cause great bodily injury, domestic violence, possession of ammunition as a felon and fleeing from police in Sacramento County, according to the criminal complaint.—
James Queally,
Los Angeles Times,
2 June 2026
-
Continue reading … IN OTHER NEWS GOLDEN STATE EXODUS — Californians fleeing to red states are driving up home prices and rents in their new cities, data shows.—
,
FOXNews.com,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
Haiti continues to stand before far larger powers — culturally, economically, politically — without retreating.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
30 May 2026
-
The video appears to show a person standing with a snow shovel outside the house, near the street, then retreating toward the house and tossing the shovel into the yard.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
With too much demand chasing too little supply, average home prices increased by more than 50 percent from December 2020 to December 2025, more than twice as much as wages increased over the same period.—
Rogé Karma,
The Atlantic,
1 June 2026
-
So, for borrowers chasing a sub-6% rate, comparison shopping may be the simplest place to start.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
Anthony then pulled out a knife and stabbed Metcalf once in the chest before running away, according to police.—
Matthew Ablon,
CBS News,
1 June 2026
-
Woman faceplants running away from bison.—
David Hookstead OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Running off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/running%20off. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
