1
as in to out
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 to escape
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 to retreat
to hasten away from something dangerous or frightening
the mouse ran off as soon as it saw us
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in fresh
Related Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of runoff
Marshall Shepherd, Forbes.com, 11 July 2025
This caused excess runoff change the Missouri River’s composition, KC Water said in a news release.
—Zuri Primos
july 8, Kansas City Star, 8 July 2025
Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 22 July 2025
Led by Joe Foy, who went 2 for 4 with a double, run, and two RBI, the Red Sox scored all three runs off Orioles starter Frank Bertaina, knocking him out of the game after just 4.2 innings.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 20 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for runoff
Verb
The Texas Hill Country mainly impacted runoff once the rain fell to the surface.
—Marshall Shepherd, Forbes.com, 11 July 2025
This caused excess runoff change the Missouri River’s composition, KC Water said in a news release.
—Zuri Primos
july 8, Kansas City Star, 8 July 2025
Noun
Cops recovered surveillance footage showing the gunman running off into the Christopher St. subway station, where he was recorded taking his mask and glasses off, according to prosecutors.
—Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 22 July 2025
Led by Joe Foy, who went 2 for 4 with a double, run, and two RBI, the Red Sox scored all three runs off Orioles starter Frank Bertaina, knocking him out of the game after just 4.2 innings.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 20 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for runoff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for runoff
Verb
-
In March, 2008, the Post published a front-page story on Eliot Spitzer, then the governor of New York, who—after cracking down on prostitution rings while serving as the state’s attorney general, from 1999 to 2006—was outed as having patronized an escort service.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
14 July 2025
-
Having identifying documents with gender markers that don’t appear to match how a person is presenting themself could foster an uncomfortable, sometimes dangerous, situation for people who are forced to out themselves as trans to strangers.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
Mercury News,
6 July 2025
Verb
-
Eventually, in a moment of crisis, Titch also escapes with him on it, kicking off what will become a wild continent-hopping odyssey.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
21 July 2025
-
The project explores the tension between love and loneliness, questioning whether one escapes solitude by helping others find meaningful relationships.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
21 July 2025
Verb
-
Mortensen retreated back into her room and locked the door, immediately texting her housemates.—
Time,
Time,
23 July 2025
-
Steel Dynamics — Shares retreated nearly 3% after the steelmaker’s second-quarter results trailed expectations, with $2.01 in earnings per share missing the Street’s $2.10 and revenue of $4.57 billion trailing the consensus for $4.76 billion.—
Christina Cheddar Berk,
CNBC,
22 July 2025
Noun
-
The pasta was perfectly al dente and the produce was farmers-market fresh.—
Alexis Simmerman,
Austin American Statesman,
2 July 2025
-
Tart and fresh, with a splash of red-berry fruits—not market basket fresh, but more like freshly picked off the bush—and a little bramble.—
Lana Bortolot,
Forbes.com,
29 June 2025
Verb
-
The seventh inning, meanwhile, saw Yankees pitching coach Matt Blake get ejected.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
24 July 2025
-
In March, he was ejected in Phoenix after a dust-up with Durant.—
Doug Haller,
New York Times,
24 July 2025
Verb
-
Yang’s deportation to Laos – a country her parents were forced to flee following US military intervention – underscores the sweeping and aggressive tactics Trump’s White House is using to expel immigrants.—
Lex Harvey,
CNN Money,
25 July 2025
-
Villagers flee their homes near the Thai border in Cambodia's Oddar Meanchey province on July 25, 2025.—
Shane Croucher
John Feng,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 July 2025
Verb
-
The scene concludes with a lot of digital images flying up on the screen and some positively insane synthesizer music from composer Ennio Morricone.—
Jordan Hoffman,
EW.com,
19 July 2025
-
Where will flags be at half-staff in Wisconsin? Per Evers' executive order, American flag and the Wisconsin state flag fly half-staff at all buildings, grounds and military installations belonging to the state of Wisconsin.—
Cailey Gleeson,
jsonline.com,
19 July 2025
Noun
-
Two and a half feet of rain beat down upon the face of the San Gabriels, wiping out the rustic resorts wedged into the canyons, and chuting runoff waters down onto the plain along ancient dry rivulets and freshets and canyons that Angelenos had forgotten or never known about.—
Patt MorrisonColumnist,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Feb. 2023
-
The Hudson River had a little current, fed by freshets from upstream with local rains, and melting snow farther up, in the Adirondacks.—
Ian Frazier,
The New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2020
Cite this Entry
“Runoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/runoff. Accessed 1 Aug. 2025.
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