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
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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
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Recent Examples of runoff
Robert Birsel, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Sep. 2025
However, by the late 1920s, the river was once again polluted by industrial and human runoff and was deemed unsafe for swimming.
—Melina Khan, USA Today, 22 Sep. 2025
Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 25 Sep. 2025
Upon touching down, the plane did not have sufficient runway to stop and ran off the end of the runway.
—Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for runoff
Verb
Republican businessman Jason Dickerson beat Democrat Debra Shigley in the Tuesday runoff after no candidate in a seven-person field won a majority to take the seat outright in August.
—Robert Birsel, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Sep. 2025
However, by the late 1920s, the river was once again polluted by industrial and human runoff and was deemed unsafe for swimming.
—Melina Khan, USA Today, 22 Sep. 2025
Noun
The Eagles then ran off 16 wins over its next 17 games, capped by a Super Bowl win.
—Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 25 Sep. 2025
Upon touching down, the plane did not have sufficient runway to stop and ran off the end of the runway.
—Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for runoff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for runoff
Verb
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Last year, the singer-songwriter was outed by an ex on social media.—
Jeff Nelson,
PEOPLE,
1 Oct. 2025
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The pair’s relationship was strained in the years after the seven-time Grammy winner became famous, with Ciccone at one point accusing his sister of outing him as gay during an interview.—
Hannah Dailey,
Billboard,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Lammens was perhaps fortunate to escape sanction then (Stuart Atwell booked the forward for diving), but this was a valuable occasion ahead of tougher tests, beginning at Anfield.—
Laurie Whitwell,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
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On autopilot The NGC Cinema-Grand Blanc Trillium, about three-quarters of a mile away on Holly Road, became a triage and reunification site for church members who escaped the attack.—
Georgea Kovanis,
Freep.com,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Unwind by one of two pools, retreat to a private cabana, or stroll along the expansive stretch of pristine beachfront.—
Angela Caraway-Carlton,
Miami Herald,
4 Oct. 2025
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Together, these moves position China as a responsible power at the very moment others are retreating.—
Felicia Jackson,
Forbes.com,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The Vikings could aim to keep Jones fresh for the second half of the season and the playoffs by giving more touches to Mason over the first couple of months.—
Matthew Schmidt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Sep. 2025
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The show is, of course, trading in familiar stereotypes for all its real-life characters, but there is something about its bespoke combination of the retro and the fresh.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Reeve was ejected late in the fourth quarter of that Game 3 contest.—
Jill Martin,
CNN Money,
30 Sep. 2025
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These plumes are known to eject their material thousands of miles from the moon’s surface.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
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At least eight Salvadoran officials who had been investigating MS-13 and corruption, including some who had worked with Vulcan agents, fled the country after threats, harassment, and searches of their homes and offices.—
T. Christian Miller,
ProPublica,
30 Sep. 2025
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After the shootings, McFarlin fled to Mono County, where sheriff’s deputies arrested him.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Ross passed the day's examination with flying colors, barely flinching at the rubber chicken.—
Craig Shoup,
Nashville Tennessean,
3 Oct. 2025
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Swift recorded the album during her behemoth Eras Tour, flying in and out of Sweden between stops to lay down tracks.—
Liz Schubauer,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
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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
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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 6 Oct. 2025.
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