run·away
ˈrə-nə-ˌwā 
1
: one that runs away from danger, duty, or restraint : fugitive
2
: the act of running away out of control
also
: something (such as a horse) that is running out of control
3
: a one-sided or overwhelming victory
1
a
: running away : fugitive
b
: leaving to gain special advantages (such as lower wages) or avoid disadvantages (such as governmental or union restrictions)
runaway shipping firms
a runaway shop
2
: accomplished by elopement or during flight
3
: won by or having a long lead
a runaway success
also
: extremely successful
a runaway bestseller
4
: subject to uncontrolled changes
runaway inflation
5
: being or operating out of control
a runaway oil well
a runaway nuclear reactor
ran away; run away; running away; runs away
1
a
: to leave quickly in order to avoid or escape something
b
: to leave home
especially
: elope
3
: to gain a substantial lead : win by a large margin
see also run away with
Synonyms
Examples of runaway in a Sentence
Adjective
The play was a runaway success.
a region plagued by runaway suburban sprawl
Verb
ran away from an unhappy marriage
the child runs away from large dogs
Recent Examples on the Web
Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024
His latest novel follows the misadventures of a runaway named Jim and his young companion Huckleberry in the antebellum American South.
—Lauren Michele Jackson, The New Yorker, 26 Mar. 2024
Here's how much snow has fallen in 2024 so far
The Reddit forum that Langstaff met the victim on was allegedly for runaways and there were multiple contacts between the girl and Langstaff leading up to her departure, according to the affidavit.
—Kira Caspers, The Arizona Republic, 28 Mar. 2024
Teddi told Dateline Nevaeh had run off before and was initially listed as a runaway.
—Dateline Nbc, NBC News, 6 Mar. 2024
What had been a UCLA runaway was suddenly tilting heavily in the other direction as Marquette took a 50-45 lead before Bruins freshman guard Ilane Fibleuil buried a three-pointer.
—Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 21 Nov. 2023
In one case in 2022, a 15-year-old runaway broke into a nearby residence and cut the throat of a 77-year-old woman.
—The Indianapolis Star, 5 Mar. 2024
Test shows explosive power of a lithium-ion battery thermal runaway 01:31
Climate can also affect battery operation.
—Wesley Chang, CBS News, 5 Mar. 2024
Chen, whose research is partly funded by GM and the U.S. Department of Energy, has studied the cause of thermal runaway, which is the formation of lithium dendrite, a metal that can grow in tree-branch-like patterns along the battery.
—Jamie L. Lareau, Detroit Free Press, 1 Mar. 2024
Winston Cho, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Apr. 2024
Over the past decade or so, home baking has taken off in the United Kingdom and United States, fueled first by the runaway popularity of The Great British Baking Show and then by the proliferation of pandemic-era DIY hobbies.
—Corey Buhay, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Apr. 2024
Her exhausted brain begins to clatter like a runaway machine.
—Joyce Carol Oates, The New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2024
The train’s conductor had been warned about the runaway ahead of time, Sydney Trains chief executive Matthew Longland told 9News, and was instructed to not open the doors for fears the horse would try to board.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 11 Apr. 2024
Given its runaway financial success, the follow-up was granted a much more substantial $200 million price tag.
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 10 Apr. 2024
Some engineers called for an improved warning system in the channel that could more effectively evacuate people and stop traffic in the event of a runaway ship.
—Lori Aratani, Washington Post, 27 Mar. 2024
In June, a neighborhood in McKinney, Texas woke up to a shocking sight: 40 runaway goats strolling around—and taking bites out of—residents’ lawns after breaking away from a herd grazing at a nearby development.
—Amarachi Orie, CNN, 4 Apr. 2024
Mary Walrath-Holdridge An Oregon man is counting his lucky stars this week after a runaway saw blade missed him by seconds.
—USA TODAY, 1 Apr. 2024
Steve Brand, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Apr. 2024
When Dozier approached, Cook grabbed the barrel of the rifle and attempted to wrestle it from Dozier’s hand, but Dozier broke free and fired as Cook attempted to run away, according to police.
—Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2024
Frisky, reverting back to seven-year-old logic, decides to run away from her problems, and Chilli and the girls spend much of the episode chasing after her.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 15 Apr. 2024
The boy was seen running away from the car completely naked.
—Mitchell Willetts, Kansas City Star, 14 Apr. 2024
After the shooting, cameras captured the man jump out of his car and run away.
—Tanasia Kenney, Miami Herald, 9 Apr. 2024
Trying to run away with his friend Aner Shapira, the two hid in a nearby roadside bomb shelter with 27 other people.
—Shira Pinson, NBC News, 5 Apr. 2024
As a woman approaches the goat to try to help the officer, the goat runs away on the shoulder of the road.
—Nicole Lopez, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Apr. 2024
The thief is seen in the security video rummaging through her purse and running away.
—Chris Eberhart, Fox News, 9 Apr. 2024
Noun
When Reena’s father and her uncle Raj (Anoop Desai) come to file a missing persons report, Cam is ready at first — along with the rest of the department, including her adoptive father (Matt Craven), the police chief — to write her off as a runaway.
—Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024
His latest novel follows the misadventures of a runaway named Jim and his young companion Huckleberry in the antebellum American South.
—Lauren Michele Jackson, The New Yorker, 26 Mar. 2024
Here's how much snow has fallen in 2024 so far
The Reddit forum that Langstaff met the victim on was allegedly for runaways and there were multiple contacts between the girl and Langstaff leading up to her departure, according to the affidavit.
—Kira Caspers, The Arizona Republic, 28 Mar. 2024
Teddi told Dateline Nevaeh had run off before and was initially listed as a runaway.
—Dateline Nbc, NBC News, 6 Mar. 2024
What had been a UCLA runaway was suddenly tilting heavily in the other direction as Marquette took a 50-45 lead before Bruins freshman guard Ilane Fibleuil buried a three-pointer.
—Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 21 Nov. 2023
In one case in 2022, a 15-year-old runaway broke into a nearby residence and cut the throat of a 77-year-old woman.
—The Indianapolis Star, 5 Mar. 2024
Test shows explosive power of a lithium-ion battery thermal runaway 01:31
Climate can also affect battery operation.
—Wesley Chang, CBS News, 5 Mar. 2024
Chen, whose research is partly funded by GM and the U.S. Department of Energy, has studied the cause of thermal runaway, which is the formation of lithium dendrite, a metal that can grow in tree-branch-like patterns along the battery.
—Jamie L. Lareau, Detroit Free Press, 1 Mar. 2024
Adjective
Related Stories Also playing a factor in the decline were reductions in content spend across most major studios, series cancellations and runaway production.
—Winston Cho, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Apr. 2024
Over the past decade or so, home baking has taken off in the United Kingdom and United States, fueled first by the runaway popularity of The Great British Baking Show and then by the proliferation of pandemic-era DIY hobbies.
—Corey Buhay, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Apr. 2024
Her exhausted brain begins to clatter like a runaway machine.
—Joyce Carol Oates, The New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2024
The train’s conductor had been warned about the runaway ahead of time, Sydney Trains chief executive Matthew Longland told 9News, and was instructed to not open the doors for fears the horse would try to board.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 11 Apr. 2024
Given its runaway financial success, the follow-up was granted a much more substantial $200 million price tag.
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 10 Apr. 2024
Some engineers called for an improved warning system in the channel that could more effectively evacuate people and stop traffic in the event of a runaway ship.
—Lori Aratani, Washington Post, 27 Mar. 2024
In June, a neighborhood in McKinney, Texas woke up to a shocking sight: 40 runaway goats strolling around—and taking bites out of—residents’ lawns after breaking away from a herd grazing at a nearby development.
—Amarachi Orie, CNN, 4 Apr. 2024
Mary Walrath-Holdridge An Oregon man is counting his lucky stars this week after a runaway saw blade missed him by seconds.
—USA TODAY, 1 Apr. 2024
Verb
Cook ran away with the 300s in 45.60, finishing first by three seconds.
—Steve Brand, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Apr. 2024
When Dozier approached, Cook grabbed the barrel of the rifle and attempted to wrestle it from Dozier’s hand, but Dozier broke free and fired as Cook attempted to run away, according to police.
—Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2024
Frisky, reverting back to seven-year-old logic, decides to run away from her problems, and Chilli and the girls spend much of the episode chasing after her.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 15 Apr. 2024
The boy was seen running away from the car completely naked.
—Mitchell Willetts, Kansas City Star, 14 Apr. 2024
After the shooting, cameras captured the man jump out of his car and run away.
—Tanasia Kenney, Miami Herald, 9 Apr. 2024
Trying to run away with his friend Aner Shapira, the two hid in a nearby roadside bomb shelter with 27 other people.
—Shira Pinson, NBC News, 5 Apr. 2024
As a woman approaches the goat to try to help the officer, the goat runs away on the shoulder of the road.
—Nicole Lopez, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Apr. 2024
The thief is seen in the security video rummaging through her purse and running away.
—Chris Eberhart, Fox News, 9 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'runaway.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near runaway
Cite this Entry
“Runaway.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/runaway. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
runaway
1 of 3 noun
run·away
ˈrən-ə-ˌwā
1
: a person who runs away : fugitive
2
: the act of running away out of control
also
: something (as a horse) that is running out of control
runaway
2 of 3 adjective1
: running away : fugitive
2
: being out of control
run away
3 of 3 verbˌrən-ə-ˈwā
1
: to leave in a hurry especially to escape from danger or confinement
2
: to leave home
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