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

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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

In video released by police, an officer exits his vehicle and points his gun at Ryan Hinton, who appears to be running away. — Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 23 Oct. 2026 One deputy tried to use a Taser on the dog, which sent the animal running away. — Morgan Rynor, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026 Recent polls have shown Acton leading but not running away with the race. — Philip Elliott, Time, 21 Oct. 2026 The video shows a black SUV speeding over a median and driving toward a man who is running away. — Lekan Oyekanmi, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026 Walker arrives at the scene and notices a man running away with a gun in hand. — Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026 After running away, the suspect fired at two additional officers, Bethel said. — James Cirrone , Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2026 One of the most notable moments — and the scene apparently being filmed — was a sequence of shots showing the three bandmembers running away from swarps of adoring fans. — Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 20 Sep. 2026 After two shots, the bear reportedly rose and began running away. — Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 14 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for running away

Noun

By Tuesday night, more than 800 people had signed it, according to the petition, with 26 leaving comments.

— Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 22 Sep. 2026
Officers responded to a call about shots fired a few blocks away from Beale Street and saw a person armed with a gun leaving, said Memphis police.

— ABC News, ABC News, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of leaving

Verb

Beneficiaries include people recovering from natural disasters, families traveling for medical care and survivors escaping domestic violence.

— ABC News, ABC News, 29 Oct. 2026
Jaros and Rauh also try to account for the uncertainty over whether taxes can be collected from other billionaires, such as the ones who have left since the beginning of the year and may thus have a legal case for escaping the tax.

— Ramesh Ponnuru, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of escaping

Verb

Many have reacted by retreating, focusing on cultivating niche audiences.

— Max Tani, semafor.com, 25 Oct. 2026
Longtime collaborator Erik Blood foregrounds Butler’s dry drum machines in the mix, letting every other element shuffle around them, snaking toward the spotlight for a brief moment and retreating back into the brume.

— Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of retreating

Noun

Since Sorrells was sworn in, at least 79 assistant district attorneys have resigned, according to a source familiar with the departures.

— Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Oct. 2026
His departure just days before the midterms adds to the questions swirling around MAHA’s salience to the electorate.

— Anil Oza, STAT, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of departure

Verb

Bomfim is accused of fleeing to Brazil on July 12, the day after the child’s mother discovered the footage.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026
Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, the loser in Brazil’s presidential elections Sunday, arrived in Miami on Wednesday after fleeing his home country in a secretive mission that has drawn speculation and controversy.

— Florencia Cabral, Miami Herald, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of fleeing

Verb

Reporting from Tel Aviv Shlomit Ofir is one of the many Israelis flying in from abroad to cast their votes in today’s election.

— Yarden Segev, NBC news, 27 Oct. 2026
The Air Force puts the missile’s range at approximately 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers), allowing aircraft to launch it from a considerable distance rather than flying directly over hostile territory.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of flying

Verb

His team already seems a bit frustrated with him, but that also could be Domantas Sabonis’ way of getting out of Sacramento.

— OutKick, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2026
Bootcap goes on the toe of ski boots to create an insulation barrier and prevents cold from getting in and heat from getting out.

— Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 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 30 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of running away

noun

verb

Example Sentences

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