run 1 of 2

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as in to lead
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 to vary
to occur within a continuous range of variation the electric bill runs between 30 and 50 dollars a month

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as in to tend
to show a liking or proneness (for something) unfortunately, members of his family run to fatness

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as in to drive
to urge, push, or force onward they ran the horses hard in order to get to the ranch quickly

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as in to operate
to control the mechanical operation of I know how to run that machine

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10
as in to become
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 to melt
to go from a solid to a liquid state her makeup started to run when she got in the pool

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as in to cost
to have a price of that sort of computer runs at least several hundred dollars

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run

2 of 2

noun

1
as in tendency
a prevailing or general movement or inclination the company's stock has remained consistent with the overall run of the market

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as in duration
the period during which something exists, lasts, or is in progress the actor has been assigned the part for the run of the show

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as in trots
runs plural abnormally frequent intestinal evacuations with more or less fluid stools with weekend guests in the house, it was no time to get the runs

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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 run
Verb
Four officers ran to the fence - three pulling out handguns and another pointing what appeared to be a shotgun. CBS News, 9 Apr. 2025 While college basketball’s hiatus should help the UFL recapture some casual fans, the Week 3 slate will run headlong into the ratings juggernaut that is the Masters on CBS. Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 9 Apr. 2025
Noun
Both runs went down as earned runs against Padres right-hander Dylan Cease, who surrendered nine in all for a career-worst total. Dennis Lin, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025 Chenoweth and Menzel originated the roles of Glinda and Elphaba in Broadway's original run of Wicked in 2003. Sharareh Drury, People.com, 9 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for run
Recent Examples of Synonyms for run
Verb
  • Former President Bill Clinton — aside from famously jogging to McDonald’s — Bush, and Obama were all relatively healthy presidents.
    Haisten Willis, The Washington Examiner, 12 Apr. 2025
  • Howard exclaimed, holding her finger up before turning around, jogging back to the show's pre-interview holding area, and returning without Aladdin.
    Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 11 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Fellow dictatorships including Russia, China, North Korea, Cuba, and Iran lined up behind Maduro while Gonzalez fled the country during the reign of state terror against dissidents that followed the election.
    Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 20 Apr. 2025
  • April 19: McVeigh parks the truck outside the federal building and flees on foot to his getaway car.
    Todd Pendleton, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The Miami Heat enters an important game in Chicago with its leading trio will be available for the first time in nearly two weeks..
    Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 10 Apr. 2025
  • Clowney, who co-led the team in sacks in 2024, is in a similar, albeit older, boat.
    Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 25 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • While most modern employees feel a general sense of security going to work, their experience varies across industries and workplaces.
    Elissa Rossi, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
  • Most teams have carried around 120 players, but that number varies, ranging from as little as 110 to as high as 140 in some instances.
    Sam Khan Jr., New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The rich sat on deck while the poor were squeezed in the hold below, with no place to relieve themselves, so excrement, vomit, and other wastes flowed down into the lower areas.
    Lauren Vuong, Mercury News, 19 Apr. 2025
  • The liquor flows so freely that the rest room nearly becomes a vomitorium.
    Justin Chang, New Yorker, 19 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • In the years since, the vehicles raced on tracks across the world have evolved.
    Eileen Falkenberg-Hull, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Apr. 2025
  • Ambulances, firetrucks and patrol vehicles from multiple law enforcement agencies raced toward the campus that sits just west of Florida’s state capital after the university issued an active shooter alert midday Thursday, saying police were responding near the student union.
    Kate Payne and David Fischer, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • While, yes, many period adaptations tend to be quite white, the popularity of Bridgerton proves that there’s plenty of room for actors of all races and ethnicities to get in on the corset-and-breeches-wearing fun.
    Emma Specter, Vogue, 14 Apr. 2025
  • However, wind and solar tend to take up a lot of space, which has led to challenges in local approvals for new sites and transmission lines.
    Erin Baker, The Conversation, 14 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The Ontario Home Builders’ Association warned last month that tariffs and counter-tariffs on steel and aluminum products would likely drive up the costs of construction materials, making building and buying new homes more expensive, worsening the housing affordability issue.
    Hira Humayun, CNN Money, 20 Apr. 2025
  • As tariffs are expected to drive prices up, consumers may be tempted to buy ahead, even big-ticket items such as cars, laptops, smartphones or even homes.
    Lorie Konish, CNBC, 19 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Run.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/run. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.

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