runs 1 of 2

present tense third-person singular of run
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2
3
as in leads
to be positioned along a certain course or in a certain direction the road runs along the river for a while

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4
as in varies
to occur within a continuous range of variation the electric bill runs between 30 and 50 dollars a month

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7
as in tends
to show a liking or proneness (for something) unfortunately, members of his family run to fatness

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

8
as in drives
to urge, push, or force onward they ran the horses hard in order to get to the ranch quickly

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9
as in operates
to control the mechanical operation of I know how to run that machine

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10
as in becomes
to eventually have as a state or quality the poor woman ran herself ragged trying to care for all those children

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as in costs
to have a price of that sort of computer runs at least several hundred dollars

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runs

2 of 2

noun

plural of run
as in diarrhea
abnormally frequent intestinal evacuations with more or less fluid stools with weekend guests in the house, it was no time to get the runs

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 runs
Verb
The per-student cost to the state is slightly higher than the amount each student actually receives, due to transaction fees that go to ClassWallet, the vendor that runs the school choice program's online platform. Arkansas Online, 16 Sep. 2026 That’s why last winter represented such a golden opportunity for Allen or Jackson, in particular, to at last lead his team on one of those legacy-defining Super Bowl runs. Mike Jones, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026 An elevator runs from the ground floor to both the upper and lower levels, which are set up with additional spaces for rest and relaxation. Tori Latham, Robb Report, 16 Sep. 2026 As is the case with other underwater drones/small ROVs, the BentiX is connected to a communications cable that runs from it to a topside joystick remote control unit (wireless radio signals do not travel well through water). New Atlas, 16 Sep. 2026 This applies most where a tool’s confidence in a candidate runs unusually high or low, since that is where distortion is most likely to hide. Houman Akhavan, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2026 This year’s edition runs October 15-25 in theaters across Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens, with premieres taking place at SVA Theatre, BAM, MoMI, Nitehawk Prospect Park, and the LGBT Community Center. Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 16 Sep. 2026 The presale for select shows runs from September 22 at 10am local time to September 24 at 10pm local time. Jem Aswad, Variety, 16 Sep. 2026 Every episode runs for two minutes — oddly a perfect length for the microdrama era, despite the fact that it was first released nearly 15 years ago — and follows the antics of the teen girls on the Kameido High tennis club. Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026
Noun
And among those five appearances, their three best postseason runs have all come in the past three seasons. Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 15 Sep. 2026 Arizona’s Corbin Burnes gave five runs and five hits in 4 2/3 innings, leaving after reaching his 75-pitch limit. Miami Herald, 15 Sep. 2026 Player props, strikeouts, hits, runs, and so much more float past our eyes and entice us to put a play on the action. Outkick, FOXNews.com, 15 Sep. 2026 In 592 plate appearances, TJ Rumfield has hit 15 long balls, tallied 69 RBIs and scored 62 runs. Data Skrive, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026 Anderson was tagged for five runs and seven hits in 4 1/3 innings. ABC News, 15 Sep. 2026 People have always looked for errant glimmers of the dead in the world around them, but now the past runs parallel to — imprints upon, and circles around — the present to a degree that can severely confuse the relationship between the two. David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2026 Quarterback Keirion Tate passed for 285 yards and scored on touchdown runs of 45, 38 and 2 yards. Todd Holcomb, AJC.com, 10 Sep. 2026 Sugano allowed five runs and four hits in six innings in his fourth straight loss. CBS News, 10 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for runs
Verb
  • When a review begins, the referee jogs straight to a pitchside monitor.
    Henry Bushnell, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026
  • First inning, Shohei Ohtani walks, steals second, jogs to third on a single by Freddie Freeman, scores on a grounder by Mookie Betts.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Cora, the granddaughter of a woman kidnapped from West Africa and sold into slavery, flees her captor’s plantation, plunging her into the book’s alternate steampunk reality where she is pursued by the merciless slave catcher Ridgeway.
    David Faris, TheWeek, 16 Sep. 2026
  • As the dust settles, John flees, but Zoe comes with a gun to finish off Hal in the rubble.
    Joe Otterson, Variety, 14 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The Saudis have since used the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which leads out of the Red Sea, for crude oil exports.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 15 Sep. 2026
  • His more useful answer leads us to a sweeping new study of what creates successful entrepreneurs.
    Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 14 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • On the otherwise attractive exterior, the clarity of incised inscriptions in the limestone varies considerably under different lighting conditions and can be too subtle.
    Edward Keegan, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Human attention varies with fatigue and lighting, whereas automated visual inspection applies the same standard to every vehicle, every time, catching a category of defects that a routine glance may overlook.
    Amir Hever, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Doubt and conflict flows through not just her searching eyes but also, in this case, a shrinking, defensive posture.
    Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2026
  • After all, if cellular biology flows from physics and chemistry through a set of logical laws and processes, maybe there is only one path between the three.
    Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 15 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The Supra is one of the vehicles most closely associated with Walker’s Fast & Furious character, Brian O’Conner, who builds and races a bright orange version of the A80 in the first installment of the popular movie franchise.
    Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Europe races to scale The political tensions come as Europe’s commercial space industry is gathering momentum.
    Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The museum tends to attract a broad swath of ages, from middle school on up to senior citizens—though school vacation periods do bring in a younger, elementary school–aged crowd, too.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Messick emerged from the dugout tunnel Monday afternoon in a hoodie with cutoff sleeves, inhaled and reveled in the crisp air that tends to accompany a playoff race.
    Zack Meisel, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Sandra Lim, The Curious Thing While there is an undercurrent of a breakup throughout this collection, particularly in the third section, what drives this book is a reorientation of the self in the world.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Speakers noted the Republican nominee's oil and gas investments as the energy sector amasses profits while the Iran war drives up fuel costs.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 17 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Runs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/runs. Accessed 21 Sep. 2026.

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