RUNS AWAY Synonyms: 82 Similar and Opposite Words

runs away

verb

present tense third-person singular of run away

as in escapes

to get free from a dangerous or confining situation ran away from an unhappy marriage

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in retreats

to hasten away from something dangerous or frightening the child runs away from large dogs

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 away And when the guy is maybe 20 meters away, the cameraman packs up the camera and runs away. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 9 July 2026 The title refers to a story-fable about a horse that runs away, only to turn up at a time of crisis. — Hillel Italie, Fortune, 1 June 2026 Garcia runs away screaming toward a third officer and drops the stick before he’s pushed down into a bed of bushes growing along the street curb. — Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026 Best gets out of the vehicle, then runs away with police chasing after him. — Dave Collins, Hartford Courant, 12 Mar. 2026 In this delightfully science-minded historical fiction novel, one of the main characters runs away from her family to do astronomy while the other clocks up multiple major scientific expeditions under her belt. — Brianne Kane, Scientific American, 13 Feb. 2026 In this fluffy romance novel, burnt out pop star Amelia Rose runs away in the middle of the night to the Hallmark-worthy town of Rome. — Amanda Favazza, Southern Living, 6 Feb. 2026 The organ is dropped on the floor and a dog in the waiting room, who'd accidentally consumed marijuana, snaps it up and runs away with it. — Ana Calderone, PEOPLE, 8 Nov. 2025 Their away form is a conundrum for Howe, who, at different times, has presided over a Newcastle team that has gone on both long unbeaten and winless runs away from St James’ Park. — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for runs away

Verb

Pinned beneath her rotting legs in his recliner chair, Loftis narrowly escapes by yanking its lever, catapulting the hag over his head.

— Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 15 July 2026
In the first five minutes, her Judith stabs a man at a party, escapes on skis and celebrates a job well done by bedding a besotted hottie.

— Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 14 July 2026

Definition of escapes

Verb

After Will’s funeral, Alice retreats to her in-laws’ remote, dilapidated house, where, through the Necronomicon, a demonic spirit is unleashed and begins to turn the family members into Deadites.

— Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
When Aries pushes harder, Cancer retreats further, and neither feels understood.

— Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 24 June 2026

Definition of retreats

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

Definition of flees

Verb

His first All-Star Game on Tuesday at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia was mostly uneventful, save for the experience of catching Phillies ace Cristopher Sánchez and watching the American League score three runs off the lefty in the first inning.

— Chad Bishop, AJC.com, 15 July 2026
When Bella unexpectedly dies, Ricky fakes his own death and runs off into the woods, forcing Hector to track him down.

— Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 13 July 2026

Definition of runs off

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, Literary Hub, 17 July 2026

Definition of runs

Verb

This episode, Zack wakes up and bolts upright with the bandage still on his head from getting clobbered with a sign on his birthday and can’t remember what happened the night before.

— Brian Moylan, Vulture, 9 July 2026
When spinach bolts, the plant focuses its energy on producing flowers and seeds rather than leaves.

— Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 29 Apr. 2026

Definition of bolts

Browse Nearby Words

runs amok

runs away

runs by

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Runs away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/runs%20away. Accessed 19 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of runs away

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

accentuate

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 17

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Games & Quizzes