1
as in outs
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in escapes
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 retreats
to hasten away from something dangerous or frightening
the mouse ran off as soon as it saw us
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of runs off
Much of the precipitation that would normally fall as snow and stay in the mountains for months is instead falling as rain, which runs off quicker, Swain and other scientists said.
—
Dorany Pineda, Fortune, 10 Feb. 2026
When the police give chase, Lamia runs off with him.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2026
Phosphate fertilizer that runs off farm fields is a wonder food for algae.
—Theodore J. Karamanski, Chicago Tribune, 6 Feb. 2026
Gusto runs off the back of West Ham winger Crysencio Summerville, and his header across goal is nearly finished by Delap, who heads onto the bar.
—Mark Carey, New York Times, 5 Feb. 2026
Volvo’s latest infotainment system, which runs the automaker’s OS now called HuginCore after the bird in Norse mythology, debuted in 2027 EX60 and runs off an in-house developed electrical architecture, core computer, and zone controllers.
—Joel Feder, The Drive, 22 Jan. 2026
As mentioned, the Tiny Birdy runs off-grid.
—New Atlas, 20 Jan. 2026
In the present day, Muck crashes his dinner party with lewd outbursts and runs off with an old friend (Jack Farthing), who is later revealed to be a mirage of his late father.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 18 Jan. 2026
With those turbulent waters somewhat behind us, the ones under the ship claim another victim, and poor Britani runs off to throw up over the side of the boat.
—Tom Smyth, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2025
Dorany Pineda, Fortune, 10 Feb. 2026
When the police give chase, Lamia runs off with him.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2026
Phosphate fertilizer that runs off farm fields is a wonder food for algae.
—Theodore J. Karamanski, Chicago Tribune, 6 Feb. 2026
Gusto runs off the back of West Ham winger Crysencio Summerville, and his header across goal is nearly finished by Delap, who heads onto the bar.
—Mark Carey, New York Times, 5 Feb. 2026
Volvo’s latest infotainment system, which runs the automaker’s OS now called HuginCore after the bird in Norse mythology, debuted in 2027 EX60 and runs off an in-house developed electrical architecture, core computer, and zone controllers.
—Joel Feder, The Drive, 22 Jan. 2026
As mentioned, the Tiny Birdy runs off-grid.
—New Atlas, 20 Jan. 2026
In the present day, Muck crashes his dinner party with lewd outbursts and runs off with an old friend (Jack Farthing), who is later revealed to be a mirage of his late father.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 18 Jan. 2026
With those turbulent waters somewhat behind us, the ones under the ship claim another victim, and poor Britani runs off to throw up over the side of the boat.
—Tom Smyth, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for runs off
Verb
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In retaliation, Sir Jimmy outs Kelson as a phony with a fatal stab to the gut, though that’s not enough to save his own life.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
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When cooked straight from frozen, that fractured surface dries quickly as moisture turns to steam and escapes before the interior fully softens.—
Anne Wolf,
Martha Stewart,
8 Feb. 2026
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In Austin, February is practically a monthlong ode to friendship, from brunches where the mimosas are mandatory to rooftop escapes, DIY adventures and dessert experiments that make staying in feel just as celebratory.—
Ana Gutierrez,
Austin American Statesman,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
In the production, Hayes plays Elliott, a writer grappling with creative paralysis who retreats to a remote cabin, only to find the line between imagination and reality dangerously blurred.—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
1 Feb. 2026
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Written by Shlesinger and directed by Josephine Decker, the comedian stars as fortysomething aid worker Jamie, who, after getting abruptly and publicly dumped, retreats back to her hometown to spend a few months with her parents (Megan Mullally and Jeff Perry) until her next relief mission.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The new owner is Gary (Justin Kirk), who chases off anyone who comes around.—
Television Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Feb. 2026
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Next to Pika Pika Paradise is a colorful birthday cake filled with Alcremie, and a Kangaskhan and Dragonite battle as a Fidough chases Eevees nearby.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The president flees these tradeoffs as a matter of course and flip-flops unpredictably when pressures rise.—
Edward Lotterman,
Twin Cities,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Benedict’s offer is met with deafening silence, before Sophie flees his embrace in distress.—
Savannah Walsh,
Vanity Fair,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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When a mosquito comes and bites him, the bug immediately tastes the spice in his blood and flies away only to combust moments later.—
Jason Pham,
StyleCaster,
8 Feb. 2026
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Five cookline flies and two dishwasher area flies were landing on kitchen walls and shelves.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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At the same time, a salty liquid containing calcium chloride (a salt often used to de-ice roads) is pumped through the regenerator, which carries the heat away and ejects it to the surroundings on exit.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
5 Feb. 2026
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Results published in Nature show that cells use bioelectricity to coordinate a complex collective behavior called extrusion, a vital process that ejects sick or struggling individual cells from tissue to maintain health and keep growth in check.—
Elise Cutts,
Quanta Magazine,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Runs off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/runs%20off. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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