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
-
An unknown vehicle driving west on Independence Ave then struck the bicycle, ejecting its rider completely off the bike, the crash log said.—
Kendrick Calfee,
Kansas City Star,
14 May 2026
-
Pautler recommends ejecting pods after each use, as well as occasionally rinsing removable parts of the machines.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The scientist told me repeatedly of escaping to the ship’s deck and surrounding himself with the openness of the ocean, the beauty of volcanic islands, the whales, the dolphins, the flying fish, and, above all, the seabirds.—
Akash Kapur,
New Yorker,
12 May 2026
-
Mott’s criminal record includes charges of burglary, criminal trespassing, criminal mischief and escaping from custody or a detention facility, according to online records.—
Mirna Alsharif,
NBC news,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
These include serving as a flying test bed for in orbit manufacturing of alloys, composite materials, and fibers as well as research and production of space medicine.—
Aditya Jadhav,
Interesting Engineering,
18 May 2026
-
Bystanders, including young children, were forced to corner themselves inside the restaurant to avoid being struck by the flying chairs.—
Mike Stunson,
USA Today,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
Bangladesh was bowled out for 413 in its first innings, before taking a 27-run lead, dismissing Pakistan for 386 with offspinner Mehidy Hasan taking five wickets.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 May 2026
-
On Friday, Makary was privately dismissing the reports of his imminent ouster as false, those people said.—
Sarah Owermohle,
CNN Money,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
In December 2025, a man was shot in the leg during a fight, with the shooter fleeing the scene.—
Finch Walker,
USA Today,
12 May 2026
-
The organization, known by its French acronym MSF, reported treating over 40 gunshot victims within 12 hours while providing temporary shelter to 800 people fleeing the violence.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
When hunger calls, head to Osteria del Sotto Sale for fresh seafood and pasta before retreating to Dimora dell'Olivastro, a tranquil guesthouse set among olive groves.—
Nicky Swallow,
Travel + Leisure,
17 May 2026
-
And the country’s disconnection from the regime comes as Putin has removed himself from public life, literally retreating into a bunker.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
The next big thing is already chasing AI.—
Art Mandalas,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
-
Leading into the game against Bay State Conference rival Newton North (a 6-3 victory), Raiders coach Steve Balter had been chasing the game ball down after each of the Raiders games.—
Brendan Connelly,
Boston Herald,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
Willis said Murry reportedly argued with the victim before firing multiple shots, then returned to rummage through the car and took things out of it before running away.—
Matthew Ablon,
CBS News,
12 May 2026
-
In the original version, Sue just starts running away screaming because the head explodes.—
Fiction Non Fiction,
Literary Hub,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Running off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/running%20off. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
