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
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Recent Examples of runoff
Jared Gans, The Hill, 8 Oct. 2025
So far, the primary fight has been bitterly fought between Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, with a second Republican challenger increasing the odds of a runoff next May.
—David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 7 Oct. 2025
Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 11 Oct. 2025
Mike accepts gratefully—only to beat up this Good Samaritan and run off with his watch.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for runoff
Verb
The election went to a runoff and Warnock eventually won by about 3 points.
—Jared Gans, The Hill, 8 Oct. 2025
So far, the primary fight has been bitterly fought between Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, with a second Republican challenger increasing the odds of a runoff next May.
—David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 7 Oct. 2025
Noun
The shooter ran off on foot, police said.
—Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 11 Oct. 2025
Mike accepts gratefully—only to beat up this Good Samaritan and run off with his watch.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for runoff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for runoff
Verb
-
Kate — who is known for recycling outfits, often years apart — debuted the piece during a January 2020 visit to Bradford Town Hall before reusing the coat at the royal family's Christmas church outing in 2022.—
Stephanie Petit,
PEOPLE,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Yesavage would’ve likely contributed to a Game 5 outing back in Toronto, but the Jays ensured that wasn’t required with a 5-2 win over the Yankees.—
Mitch Bannon,
New York Times,
12 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
If unable to escape, face the shore and call or wave for help.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
12 Oct. 2025
-
Methane has been measured escaping from crevices in the seabed at a high rate as the region warms at unprecedented rates, according to a paper published in Nature Communications.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Israeli forces began pulling back from the coastal highway into Gaza city overnight after the Cabinet approval of the ceasefire, which requires troops to retreat to a buffer zone.—
Jane Arraf,
NPR,
10 Oct. 2025
-
As the Arctic has warmed four times faster than the rest of the world, sea ice is rapidly retreating.—
Nell Lewis,
CNN Money,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
In addition to pollen, the purifier captures dust, pet dander, and unwanted odors to keep your home extra fresh (which is especially handy in the colder months when the windows stay closed).—
Clara McMahon,
PEOPLE,
7 Oct. 2025
-
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
Verb
-
Branch was ejected in a game against Green Bay in 2024 for a helmet-to-helmet hit on running back Bo Melton.—
Jordan Sigler,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Oct. 2025
-
The pop star has not publicly commented on what happened, but local police confirmed to ABC News that the aggressive concertgoer was immediately ejected from the Kaseya Center.—
Hannah Dailey,
Billboard,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
An informal education professional, Eitan spent part of his captivity with Yair, and the brothers reportedly fled through tunnels during Israeli airstrikes.—
Itay Stern,
NPR,
13 Oct. 2025
-
Madagascar’s president has fled the African nation, the head of the opposition and other officials said on Monday, the second time that young protesters have toppled a government in weeks of worldwide Gen Z unrest.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The 2023 Texas Rangers lost here on the final day of the regular season, which forced them to fly across the country and start the playoffs on the road against the Tampa Bay Rays.—
Tyler Kepner,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
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Following a medical evaluation, Alaska Airlines said its crew was cleared to fly, and the aircraft continued on after a 90-minute delay.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
16 Oct. 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
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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 18 Oct. 2025.
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