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Synonyms
run (rŭn)

[Middle English ernen, runnen, from Old English rinnan, eornan, earnan, and from Old Norse rinna.]

verb: ran (răn), run, run·ning, runs. 

intransitive verb 

    1. To move swiftly on foot so that both feet leave the ground during each stride.
    2. To move at a fast gallop. Used of a horse.
  2. To retreat rapidly; flee: seized the money and ran.
    1. To move without hindrance or restraint: dogs that always ran loose.
    2. To go or move about from place to place; roam: I am always running about, looking for my glasses.
  4. To migrate, especially to move in a shoal in order to spawn. Used of fish.
    1. To move or go quickly; hurry: run for the police; ran for help.
    2. To go when in trouble or distress: He is always running to his lawyer.
    3. To make a short, quick trip or visit: ran next door to borrow a cup of sugar; ran down to the store.
    1. To take part in a race or contest: ran in the marathon; athletes who run for the gold medal.
    2. To compete in a race for elected office: ran for mayor.
    3. To finish a race or contest in a specified position: ran second.
  7. To move freely, on or as if on wheels: The car ran downhill. The drawer runs on small bearings.
  8. To be in operation: The engine is running.
  9. To go back and forth especially on a regular basis; ply: The ferry runs every hour.
  10. Nautical To sail or steer before the wind or on an indicated course: run before a storm.
    1. To flow, especially in a steady stream: Fresh water runs from the spring. Turn on the faucet and let the water run.
    2. To emit pus, mucus, or serous fluid: Pollen makes my nose run.
    3. To be wet or covered with a liquid: The street ran with blood. The mourners' eyes ran with tears.
  12. To melt and flow: A hot flame will make the solder run.
  13. To spread or dissolve, as dyes in fabric: Colorfast garments are not supposed to run.
  14. To extend, stretch, or reach in a certain direction or to a particular point: This road runs to the next town.
  15. To extend, spread, or climb as a result of growing: Ivy ran up the wall.
  16. To spread rapidly: disease that ran rampant.
    1. To be valid in a given area: The speed limit runs only to the town line.
    2. To be present as a valid accompaniment: Fishing rights run with ownership of the land.
  18. To unravel along a line: Her stocking ran.
  19. To continue in effect or operation: a lease with one year to run.
  20. To pass: Days ran into weeks.
  21. To tend to persist or recur: Stinginess seems to run in that family.
    1. To accumulate or accrue: The interest runs from the first of the month.
    2. To become payable.
  23. To take a particular form, order, or expression: My reasoning runs thus. The report runs as follows.
  24. To tend or incline: Their taste in art runs to the bizarre.
  25. To occupy or exist in a certain range: The sizes run from small to large.
  26. To be presented or performed for a continuous period of time: The play ran for six months.
  27. To pass into a specified condition: We ran into debt.
  28. Informal To leave; depart: Sorry, I have to run.

transitive verb 

    1. To travel over on foot at a pace faster than a walk: ran the entire distance.
    2. To cause (an animal) to move quickly or rapidly: We run our hunting dogs every morning.
  2. To allow to move without restraint.
  3. To do or accomplish by or as if by running: run errands.
  4. To hunt or pursue; chase: dogs running deer.
  5. To bring to a given condition by or as if by running: The toddlers ran me ragged.
  6. To cause to move quickly: She ran her fingers along the keyboard.
    1. To cause to compete in or as if in a race: He ran two horses in the Kentucky Derby.
    2. To present or nominate for elective office: The party ran her for senator.
  8. To cause to move or progress freely.
  9. To cause to function; operate: run a machine.
  10. To convey or transport: Run me into town. Run the garbage over to the dump.
  11. Football To attempt to advance (the ball) by carrying it.
  12. To submit for consideration or review: I'll run the idea by you before I write the proposal.
  13. Nautical To cause to move on a course: We ran our boat into a cove.
    1. To smuggle: run guns.
    2. To evade and pass through: run a roadblock.
  15. To pass over or through: run the rapids.
  16. To cause to flow: run water into a tub.
  17. To stream with: The fountains ran champagne.
  18. Metallurgy
    1. To melt, fuse, or smelt (metal).
    2. To mold or cast (molten metal): run gold into ingots.
  19. To cause to extend or pass: run a rope between the poles.
  20. To mark or trace on a surface: run a pencil line between two points.
  21. To sew with a continuous line of stitches: run a seam.
  22. To cause to unravel along a line: She ran her stocking on a splinter.
    1. To cause to crash or collide: ran the car into a fence.
    2. To cause to penetrate: I ran a pin into my thumb.
  24. To continue to present or perform: ran the film for a month.
  25. To publish in a periodical: run an advertisement.
  26. To subject oneself or be subjected to: run a risk.
  27. To have as an ongoing financial obligation: run a deficit; run a tab.
  28. Games
    1. To score (balls or points) consecutively in billiards: run 15 balls.
    2. To clear (the table) in pool by consecutive scores.
  29. To conduct or perform: run an experiment.
  30. Computer Science To process or execute (a program or instruction).
  31. To control, manage, or direct: ran the campaign by himself; a bureau that runs espionage operations.

noun 

    1. A pace faster than a walk.
    2. A fast gallop. Used of a horse.
  2. An act of running.
    1. A distance covered by or as if by running.
    2. The time taken to cover such a distance: It is a two minutes' run from the subway.
  4. A quick trip or visit: a run into town.
    1. Sports A running race: the winner of the mile run.
    2. A campaign for public office: She managed his successful senatorial run.
  6. Baseball A point scored by advancing around the bases and reaching home plate safely.
  7. Football A player's attempt to carry the ball past or through the opposing team, usually for a specified distance: a 30-yard run.
    1. The migration of fish, especially in order to spawn.
    2. A group or school of fish ascending a river in order to spawn.
  9. Unrestricted freedom or use: I had the run of the library.
  10. A stretch or period of riding, as in a race or to the hounds.
    1. A track or slope along or down which something can travel: a logging run.
    2. Sports A particular type of passage down a hill or across country experienced by an athlete, especially a skier or bobsledder: had two very good runs before the end of the day.
  12. Sports The distance a golf ball rolls after hitting the ground.
    1. A scheduled or regular route.
    2. The territory of a news reporter.
    1. A continuous period of operation, especially of a machine or factory.
    2. The production achieved during such a period: a press run of 15,000 copies.
    1. A movement or flow.
    2. The duration of such a flow.
    3. The amount of such a flow.
  16. A pipe or channel through which something flows.
  17. Eastern Lower Northern U.S. See creek
  18. A fall or slide, as of sand or mud.
  19. Continuous length or extent: a five-foot run of tubing.
  20. Geology A vein or seam, as of ore or rock.
  21. The direction, configuration, or lie: the run of the grain in leather.
    1. A trail or way made or frequented by animals.
    2. An outdoor enclosure for domestic animals or poultry: a dog run; a turkey run.
    1. A length of torn or unraveled stitches in a knitted fabric.
    2. A blemish caused by excessive paint flow.
    1. An unbroken series or sequence: a run of dry summers.
    2. Games A continuous sequence of playing cards in one suit.
    3. An unbroken sequence or period of performances or presentations, as in the theater.
    4. A successful sequence of actions, such as well-played shots or victories in a sport.
    5. Music A rapid sequence of notes; a roulade.
    6. A series of unexpected and urgent demands, as by depositors or customers: a run on a bank.
  25. A sustained state or condition: a run of good luck.
  26. A trend or tendency: the run of events.
  27. The average type, group, or category: The broad run of voters want the candidate to win.
  28. Computer Science An execution of a specific program or instruction.
  29. Nautical The immersed part of a ship's hull abaft of the middle body.
  30. Slang Diarrhea. Often used with the.

adjective 

  1. Being in a melted or molten state: run butter; run gold.
  2. Completely exhausted from running.

phrasal verbs

run across
To find by chance; come upon.
run after
To pursue; chase.
To seek the company or attention of for purposes of courting: He finally became tired of running after her.
run against
To encounter unexpectedly; run into.
To work against; oppose: found public sentiment running against him.
run along
To go away; leave.
run away
To flee; escape.
To leave one's home, especially to elope.
To stampede.
run down
To stop because of lack of force or power: The alarm clock finally ran down.
To make tired; cause to decline in vigor.
To collide with and knock down: a pedestrian who was run down by a speeding motorist.Nautical To collide with and cause to sink.
To chase and capture: Detectives ran down the suspects.
To trace the source of: The police ran down all possible leads in the case.
To disparage: Don't run her down; she is very talented.
To go over; review: run down a list once more.
Baseball To put a runner out after trapping him or her between two bases.
run in
To insert or include as something extra: ran in an illustration next to the first paragraph.
Printing To make a solid body of text without a paragraph or other break.
Slang To take into legal custody.
To pay a casual visit: We ran in for an hour.
run into
To meet or find by chance: ran into an old friend.
To encounter (something): ran into trouble.
To collide with.
To amount to: His net worth runs into seven figures.
run off
To print, duplicate, or copy: ran off 200 copies of the report.
To run away; elope.
To flow off; drain away.
To decide (a contest or competition) by a runoff.
To force or drive off (trespassers, for example).
run on
To keep going; continue.
To talk volubly, persistently, and usually inconsequentially: He is always running on about his tax problems.
To continue a text without a formal break.
run out
To become used up; be exhausted: Our supplies finally ran out.
To put out by force; compel to leave: We ran him out of town.
To become void, especially through the passage of time or an omission: an insurance policy that had run out.
run over
To collide with, knock down, and often pass over: The car ran over a child.
To read or review quickly: run over a speech before giving it.
To flow over.
To go beyond a limit: The meeting ran over by 30 minutes.
run through
To pierce: The soldier was run through by a bayonet.
To use up quickly: She ran through all her money.
To rehearse quickly: Let's run through the first act again.
To go over the salient points or facts of: The crew ran through the preflight procedures. We ran through the witness's testimony before presenting it in court.
run up
To make or become greater or larger: ran up huge bills; run up the price of the company's stock.
run with
To keep company: runs with a wild crowd.
To take as one's own; adopt: “ was determined to run with the idea and go public before it had been researched” (Betty Cuniberti)

idioms

a run for (one's) money
Strong competition.
in the long run
In the final analysis or outcome.
in the short run
In the immediate future.
on the run
In rapid retreat: guerrillas on the run after an ambush. In hiding: fugitives on the run. Hurrying busily from place to place: executives always on the run from New York to Los Angeles.
run a temperature
To have a higher than normal body temperature.
run away with
To make off with hurriedly. To steal. To be greater or bigger than others in (a performance, for example).
run foul of
To run into; collide with: a sloop that had run foul of the submerged reef. To come into conflict with: a pickpocket who ran foul of the law.
run in place
To go through the movements of running without leaving one's original position.
run interference
To deal with problems or difficult matters for someone else.
run off at the mouth
To talk excessively or indiscreetly.
run off with
To capture or carry off: ran off with the state championship.
run (one's) eyes over
To look at or read in a cursory manner.
run out of
To exhaust the supply of: ran out of fuel.
run out of gas
To exhaust one's energy or enthusiasm. To falter or come to a stop because of a lack of capital, support, or enthusiasm.
run out on
To abandon: has run out on the family.
run rings around
To be markedly superior to.
run scared
To become intimidated or frightened.
run short
To become scanty or insufficient in supply: Fuel oil ran short during the winter.
run short of
To use up so that a supply becomes insufficient or scanty: ran short of paper clips.
run to earth
To pursue and successfully capture: Dogs ran the fox to earth. The police ran the terrorists to ground.