runs 1 of 2

present tense third-person singular of run
1
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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5
6
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
After living in the City of Lights for more than a decade, the designer said he was drawn to its features, which informed his palette that runs from sky blues to Seine greens, via tones inspired by its typical stone buildings. — Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 1 Oct. 2026 Every action is decisive and cannot be reversed, just as the film runs ever forward through the projector. — Harmon Siegel, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026 The kingdom relies on the East-West Pipeline, which runs the breadth of the country, to move its crude from oil processing facilities on the Gulf to ports on its western, Red Sea coast. — Arkansas Online, 30 Sep. 2026 This year, the WSA runs alongside it, bringing filmmakers and composers together in concert. — Ben Croll, Variety, 30 Sep. 2026 In Bangladesh, the foundation runs Srihatta—the Samdani Art Centre and Sculpture Park in Sylhet. — George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 30 Sep. 2026 The mortgage subsidy, which runs for one year, could offer some direct support for housing demand and lift home sales in the short term, by pulling forward some first-home purchases, Goldman Sachs analysts said. — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 30 Sep. 2026 The rest of the machine is solid for the price, with a capable Intel Core 5 processor that runs everyday programs well. — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 30 Sep. 2026 The experience runs every Saturday and Sunday from September 19 through November 8 for optimal leaf-peeping. — Elleanna Revell, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Sep. 2026
Noun
Prices range from about 240 euros for jersey basics to 450 to 850 euros for most ready-to-wear; leather and cashmere outerwear runs from 1,500 to 2,500 euros. — Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2026 Under his guidance, the Marlins finished sixth in on-base percentage, tied for ninth in OPS (on-base plus slugging) but 18th in runs. — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 29 Sep. 2026 When the game ended, the Athletics down by nine runs, the Astros bound for the playoffs, there were around 50 people remaining on the RBI patio. — Sacbee.com, 28 Sep. 2026 The Phillies scored only three runs during their four-game losing streak. — CBS News, 28 Sep. 2026 The venue last hosted an ODI in January 2023, when India beat Sri Lanka by 317 runs. — ABC News, 27 Sep. 2026 Wacha gave up six runs — although only two were earned — in what turned out to be an 11-5 loss on Saturday to the Guardians. — Kansas City Star, 27 Sep. 2026 Over time, a ban could cut refinery runs and tighten supplies of other fuels including gasoline. — Frank Witsil, Freep.com, 22 Sep. 2026 The Practical Economics of Alternative Mobility Taking a car on short local runs – whether running quick errands, commuting across town, or heading to a local transit station – comes with hidden overheads. — New Atlas, 22 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
  • As Arkansas families navigate a new education landscape, asking the right questions can help ensure that choice leads not just to change, but to growth, stability, and opportunity for the students who matter most.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 28 Sep. 2026
  • When his inquiry leads directly to a ruthless corporate chairman played by Tony Leung Ka-fai, the two seasoned operators become locked in a battle of wits.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 28 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Samsung began its broader One UI 9 rollout in September 2026, although availability varies by phone model, carrier and region.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The number of cards in a deck varies, but most versions have 54 cards.
    — Sanat Pai Raikar, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The beavers can't talk, and the trees can't see, and the river only flows in one direction.
    — Corey Seymour, Vogue, 29 Sep. 2026
  • While oil flows from the Middle East have risen and now top 75% of pre-war volumes, crude prices will take longer to fall, according to Gregory Brew, an energy analyst at political risk consultancy Eurasia Group.
    — Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 28 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
  • Stuhlbarg, whose Vice President tends to cower in terror in the corner of the frame, becomes particularly evident as the movie’s comic secret weapon upon closer examination.
    — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Speculation and reading the tea leaves within Chinese official announcement and state media reports also tends to intensify in the run-up to major Communist Party meetings.
    — Sylvie Zhuang, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • This absence drives Shimoda to unearth historical records like FBI files; to visit Manzanar, the concentration camp his grandfather was sent to in Missouri; and to travel to his grandfather’s ancestral homeland in Japan.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Money drives them apart, but that’s what they’re expected to care about.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Runs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/runs. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.

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