Run definition

Run as a verb

1. move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time

   "Don't run — you'll be out of breath"

2. flee; take to one's heels; cut and run

   "If you see this man, run!"

   Same sense: run away, break away, escape, take to the woods, head for the hills, turn tail, bunk, lam

3. stretch out over a distance, space, time, or scope; run or extend between two points or beyond a certain point

   "Service runs all the way to Cranbury"

   Same sense: go, lead, pass, extend

4. direct or control; projects, businesses, etc.

   "She is running a relief operation in the Sudan"

   Same sense: operate

5. have a particular form

   "the story or argument runs as follows"

   Same sense: go

6. move along, of liquids

   Same sense: course, flow, feed

7. perform as expected when applied

   "Does this old car still run well?"

   Same sense: go, work, function, operate

8. change or be different within limits

   "Interest rates run from 5 to 10 percent"

   Same sense: range

9. run, stand, or compete for an office or a position

   "Who's running for treasurer this year?"

   Same sense: campaign

10. cause to emit recorded audio or video

    Same sense: play

11. move about freely and without restraint, or act as if running around in an uncontrolled way

    "who are these people running around in the building?"

12. have a tendency or disposition to do or be something; be inclined

    "These dresses run small"

    Same sense: be given, tend, lean, incline

13. be operating, running or functioning

    "The car is still running — turn it off!"

14. change from one state to another

    "run amok"

15. cause to perform

    "run a subject"

16. be affected by; be subjected to

    "run a temperature"

17. continue to exist

    Same sense: die hard, endure, prevail, persist

18. occur persistently

    "Musical talent runs in the family"

19. carry out a process or program, as on a computer or a machine

    "Run the dishwasher"

    Same sense: execute

20. include as the content; broadcast or publicize

    Same sense: carry

21. conduct to completion

    "run an errand"

22. pass over, across, or through

    Same sense: pass, draw, guide

23. cause something to pass or lead somewhere

    "Run the wire behind the cabinet"

    Same sense: lead

24. make without a miss

25. deal in illegally, such as arms or liquor

    Same sense: black market

26. cause an animal to move fast

    "run the dogs"

27. be diffused

    "These dyes and colors are guaranteed not to run"

    Same sense: bleed

28. sail before the wind

29. cover by running; run a certain distance

30. extend or continue for a certain period of time

    "The film runs 5 hours"

    Same sense: run for

31. set animals loose to graze

32. keep company

    "the heifers run with the bulls to produce offspring"

    Same sense: consort

33. run with the ball; in such sports as football

34. travel rapidly, by any (unspecified) means

    "Run to the store!"

35. travel a route regularly

    Same sense: ply

36. pursue for food or sport (as of wild animals)

    "The dogs are running deer"

    Same sense: track down, hunt, hunt down

37. compete in a race

    "he is running the Marathon this year"

    Same sense: race

38. progress by being changed

    "run through your presentation before the meeting"

    Same sense: go, move

39. reduce or cause to be reduced from a solid to a liquid state, usually by heating

    Same sense: melt, melt down

40. come unraveled or undone as if by snagging

    "Her nylons were running"

    Same sense: ladder

41. become undone

    Same sense: unravel

Run as a noun

42. a score in baseball made by a runner touching all four bases safely

    "the Yankees scored 3 runs in the bottom of the 9th"

    Same sense: tally

43. the act of testing something

    Same sense: test, trial

44. a race run on foot

    "she broke the record for the half-mile run"

    Same sense: foot race, footrace

45. an unbroken series of events

    "Nicklaus had a run of birdies"

    Same sense: streak

46. (American football) a play in which a player attempts to carry the ball through or past the opposing team

    "the defensive line braced to stop the run"

    Same sense: running, running game, running play

47. a regular trip

    "the ship made its run in record time"

48. the act of running; traveling on foot at a fast pace

    "he broke into a run"

    Same sense: running

49. the continuous period of time during which something (a machine or a factory) operates or continues in operation

    "the assembly line was on a 12-hour run"

50. unrestricted freedom to use

    "he has the run of the house"

51. the production achieved during a continuous period of operation (of a machine or factory etc.)

    "a daily run of 100,000 gallons of paint"

52. a small stream

    Same sense: rivulet, rill, runnel, streamlet

53. a race between candidates for elective office

    "he is raising money for a Senate run"

    Same sense: campaign, political campaign

54. a row of unravelled stitches

    "she got a run in her stocking"

    Same sense: ladder, ravel

55. the pouring forth of a fluid

    Same sense: discharge, outpouring

56. an unbroken chronological sequence

    "the play had a long run on Broadway"

57. a short trip

    "take a run into town"

Synonyms and antonyms

• run away
• break away
• escape
• take to the woods
• head for the hills
• turn tail
• bunk
• lam
• go definition
• lead definition
• pass
• extend
• operate
• course definition
• flow
• feed
• work definition
• function
• range definition
• campaign
• play definition
• be given
• tend
• lean

Opposite: idle.

All synonyms of run, sense by sense

How to say run

Run has 1 syllable and rhymes with one. Syllable counts and rhymes come from the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary.

Words that rhyme with run

• one
• someone
• done
• everyone
• anyone
• fun
• son
• won
• sun
• gun
• none
• un

All 42 words that rhyme with run

RUN in word games

Scrabble

3

Words With Friends

5

Anagrams

1

Is RUN a valid Scrabble word? Yes, it is in the ENABLE list most word games use. Check RUN in the word checker, or unscramble RUN to see its 1 anagram and the shorter words in its letters.