runs 1 of 2

present tense third-person singular of run
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2
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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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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
Fraser Millward is familiar with both venues, having left a 20-year career in London’s theater and live events industry in 2021 to join the organization that runs Aviva, Factory International, as a technician. Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 18 July 2026 The book instead focuses on Penelope’s diplomatic genius, along with her loyal women who form a network of spies for her along with a secret militia that quietly runs the island from the shadows for two decades while their men are away at war. Literary Hub, 17 July 2026 Ben Julius, who runs tours across the city as founder of Tourist Japan, says the biggest cost of tourism in Tokyo isn't waste removal or recycling. Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026 Howard runs far enough past Coronato in this look at AHL numbers at 21 to suggest there may be another gear. Allan Mitchell, New York Times, 17 July 2026 Hudgens plays Olivia, who runs the Who Let the Hot Dogs Out food stand off the highway between the two courses. Peter White, Deadline, 17 July 2026 The property is owned by Larry Ruvo, who runs Southern Glazer Wine and Spirits of Nevada, and his wife, Camille, according to public records and news reports. David Caraccio updated July 17, Sacbee.com, 17 July 2026 Metro-North runs Yankee Clipper trains from Grand Central to Yankee Stadium for all weeknight and weekend games for about $5 to $8 each way. James McClellan, Curbed, 10 July 2026 Talarico runs strongest among younger Texans under 44, while Paxton’s support comes from voters 45 and older. Natassia Paloma, USA Today, 10 July 2026
Noun
The streamer has seen a number of shows including Beef, The Four Seasons and A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder returning for their second seasons with lower ratings than their debut runs. Peter White, Deadline, 16 July 2026 The All-Star break in 2027 runs July 12-15, with the MLB All-Star Game set for July 13 at Chicago’s Wrigley Field. Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 16 July 2026 The Midwest season runs from June through September, and the long West Coast season stretches from April through September. Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 16 July 2026 Several of the market's biggest AI infrastructure winners have pulled back sharply this week after massive runs earlier this year. Alexa Lomonaco, CNBC, 16 July 2026 With Buxton mostly healthy before the break, the Twins surged to an AL lead in runs scored with 471. Dan Hayes, New York Times, 15 July 2026 But in the postseason, a lot of runs come via the home run because the pitching is so dominant. Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 15 July 2026 During one of the salvage runs, a diver died, per The Guardian. Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 15 July 2026 The page still references fundraisers he’s held for Barack Obama and Joe Biden, and his support for both Hillary Clinton and Kamala Harris’ presidential runs. Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 14 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for runs
Verb
  • Against Senegal, Odegaard casually jogs off the pitch at the near post to drag a player away from the box as Julian Ryerson delivers the corner.
    Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 14 July 2026
  • Orchard Street, which jogs awkwardly around the one-time dump at Gowen Road, in particular needs to change, according to both Ada County Highway District and Boise city reports.
    Mark Dee July 8, Idaho Statesman, 8 July 2026
Verb
  • Dunn, having none of it, stabs Dickie 20 times with a broken liquor bottle–with pants around his ankles, no less–while Alma flees out a window.
    EW Staff, Entertainment Weekly, 25 June 2026
  • With no idea what's going on, Dylan flees the FBC to find that the Hiss — otherworldly crimson monsters from another dimension — have overrun Manhattan.
    George Yang, Space.com, 22 June 2026
Verb
  • Mbappe leads a strong French attack France reached the semi-finals after defeating Morocco 2-0, recording another clean sheet and reinforcing their status as the tournament favourites.
    Abdul Rehman, New York Times, 14 July 2026
  • Burke says the interim boss at CPD, Fred Waller, is known and respected, but who leads long-term at 35th and Michigan remains unclear.
    Chris Tye, CBS News, 14 July 2026
Verb
  • High tide varies up to 90 minutes earlier or later along the Pacific Coast and through the San Francisco Bay, respectively.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 14 July 2026
  • Regulation varies by state and there is currently no mandatory federal accreditation or licensing requirement for either body donation organizations or non-transplant tissue banks, which are not regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration.
    Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 13 July 2026
Verb
  • Air flows clockwise around these domes, but until now, none of them have been in quite the right spot to drag Canadian smoke south.
    Dakota Smith, CNN Money, 14 July 2026
  • The Madison River originates inside Yellowstone National Park and flows 183 miles north through southwest Montana, flanked by the Madison Range, the Gravelly Mountains, and the Tobacco Root Mountains.
    Condé Nast Traveler, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 July 2026
Verb
  • Once inside, the burglar sends in a robotic assistant that races through the rooms, checks drawers, copies keys, locks cabinets and writes a demand note asking for money to unlock the data.
    Ron Schmelzer, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
  • As is common with Enola Holmes films, zippy flashbacks and kicky montages illuminate what led up to all of this, but there’s an energy missing here, as the film races to get back into the present Maltese moment, which feels dire indeed.
    Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 30 June 2026
Verb
  • Among the existing methods for cleaning flesh off a specimen is chemical treatment, but that tends to be bad for the environment and can degrade the skeleton.
    Ari Daniel, NPR, 17 July 2026
  • Flooding damage, for example, tends to have major step changes once water levels exceed specific marks set by riverbanks.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 17 July 2026
Verb
  • Their fundamentalist, literal understanding of the Bible is one that drives them to take bigger, bolder actions to affirm their belief that the United States is a Christian nation.
    Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 18 July 2026
  • Intentional planning drives better long-term outcomes than an approach prioritizing speed.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Runs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/runs. Accessed 20 Jul. 2026.

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