RUNNING AWAY Synonyms: 104 Similar and Opposite Words

running away 1 of 2

noun

as in leaving

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Dissimilar Words

running away

2 of 2

verb

present participle of run away

as in escaping

to get free from a dangerous or confining situation ran away from an unhappy marriage

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in retreating

to hasten away from something dangerous or frightening the child runs away from large dogs

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 away

Verb

On Saturday, July 4, the Kansas City, Kansas, Fire Department rescued a dog that had fallen into a well after running away scared from the sound of fireworks. — Emily Harter, Kansas City Star, 6 July 2026 Crews were back out on Saturday to search for a man who Elgin police said was running away with a large knife and went into the Fox River after an incident Friday morning. — Elyssa Kaufman, CBS News, 27 June 2026 The bear bit through flesh and bone, dragging him for about 20 feet before dropping him and running away. — Los Angeles Times, Boston Herald, 8 June 2026 The bear bit through flesh and bone, dragging him for about 20 feet before dropping him and running away. — Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 7 June 2026 Woman faceplants running away from bison. — David Hookstead Outkick, FOXNews.com, 1 June 2026 The one who wouldn’t stop running away? — Literary Hub, 26 May 2026 Liza Demming, who lives two houses down from where most of the victims were shot, said her security camera captured video of the suspect running away along with the sound of two shots. — ABC News, 20 Apr. 2026 Liza Demming, who lives two houses down from where most of the victims were shot, said her security camera captured video of the suspect running away along with the sound of two shots. — Gerald Herbert, Fortune, 19 Apr. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for running away

Noun

Spurs finished 17th in each of the past two seasons and, while Gordon and Isak leaving was frustrating, that was also understandable.

— David Ornstein, New York Times, 1 July 2026
The students, who were taking their secondary school leaving examinations when they were attacked and abducted, are between 15 and 18 years old.

— ABC News, ABC News, 30 June 2026

Definition of leaving

Verb

Some tea strainers feature a mesh casing, which is the best option for preventing small particles from escaping the infuser and winding up in your drink.

— BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 9 July 2026
New research, however, suggests our planet has a better chance of escaping that fiery end than previously thought.

— Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 8 July 2026

Definition of escaping

Noun

If time permits, lock your home upon departure and disconnect utilities and appliances.

— CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 11 July 2026
Despite high-profile billionaire departures and complaints about costs, California is pulling in more than $335 billion in venture capital — about ten times New York — fueled by an AI boom.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026

Definition of departure

Verb

The actress was born in a refugee camp in Germany, where her parents had landed after fleeing from Iran.

— Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 8 July 2026
The pair of earthquakes struck on June 24, knocking down buildings, sending residents fleeing for safety and trapping some survivors under the rubble for days.

— Emily Shapiro, ABC News, 8 July 2026

Definition of fleeing

Verb

After flying toward a naval target over the Black Sea, the aircraft launched one of the supersonic missiles from a stand-off distance exceeding 120 kilometers, successfully destroying its target.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 14 July 2026
The Piper Tomahawk had been taken on a test flight by a flying instructor in his 20s after a part was replaced on the plane, the airline said.

— Charlotte Reck, CNN Money, 14 July 2026

Definition of flying

Noun

Gold Tables may begin with regular diners, but the larger opportunity is to make restaurant-going feel more habitual, more social and more connected to the OpenTable ecosystem.

— Jeff Fromm, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
Micron, Marvell Technology and Intel were all down between 4% and 6% in the early going.

— ABC News, ABC News, 7 July 2026

Definition of going

Verb

The reason for that may be due to money just moving from one part of the stock market to another, rather than investors getting out entirely.

— Fred Imbert, CNBC, 7 July 2026
Cendejas said Wahab needs to focus her time on getting out to voters in the district while the state Legislature is in recess between July and August.

— Kyle Martin, Mercury News, 24 June 2026

Definition of getting out

Browse Nearby Words

running amok

running away

running by

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Style

“Running away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/running%20away. Accessed 15 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of running away

noun

verb

Example Sentences

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