rundown 1 of 3

noun

ˈrən-ˌdau̇n How to pronounce rundown (audio)
Definition of rundownnext
as in summary
a short statement of the main points a rundown of the suspect's lengthy police record

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run-down

2 of 3

adjective

ˈrən-ˈdau̇n How to pronounce run-down (audio)
1
as in dilapidated
showing signs of advanced wear and tear and neglect a run-down old house that really should be torn down

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2
as in sick
temporarily suffering from a disorder of the body I'm afraid I'll be staying home today as I'm feeling run-down

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run down

3 of 3

verb

1
as in to find
to come upon after searching, study, or effort finally ran down the answer after hours of research

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2
as in to dismiss
to express scornfully one's low opinion of constantly running down the city's cultural life won't do anything to improve it

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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 rundown
Noun
Welcome to the first installment of Catching Strays, the New York Daily News’ daily rundown on all things Knicks. — Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 8 Oct. 2026 Students cite rundown classrooms, staff shortages and heavy workloads, while the Education Ministry has opened an online portal for complaints and nearly 900 schools suspended classes. — Nicolas Garriga, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026
Adjective
The place was messy and run-down, and there were huge smoke stains on the ceiling. — Josephine Reisman, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2026 Here is The Athletic’s run-down of the top 10 contenders in the men’s race (a separate preview of the women’s road race, which is on September 26, will follow on Friday) — plus some other names to look out for. — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026
Verb
Italy‘s Rai has bought the Fox and Fremantle reboot starring Stephen Amell, Brooks Nader and Noah Beck after its first window deal with Prime Video Italy runs down. — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 11 Oct. 2026 Robbed at Gunpoint The actor posted a video to his Instagram with blood running down his face and neck. — Britina Cheng, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for rundown
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rundown
  1. summary
  2. dilapidated
  3. sick
  4. find
  5. dismiss
  6. neglected
  7. poorly
  8. learn
Noun
  • In an interview with The Charlotte Observer, Hatch said the current report provides a high-level summary but could include more detail about specific recommendations and what changes should follow.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 12 Oct. 2026
  • His reference to the actual lei that attendees leave with does require some setup, so now’s as good a time as any to attempt a plot summary.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of summary
Adjective
  • Protests by high school students angry about dilapidated, understaffed schools have roiled France since mid-September.
    — JOHN LEICESTER, Arkansas Online, 15 Oct. 2026
  • High schoolers are expressing broad grievances over schools that are under-resourced, with dilapidated facilities and insufficient staff, notably in lower-income neighborhoods.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of dilapidated
Adjective
  • The goats’ dire situation first came to light when a former dairy employee raised concerns after witnessing emaciated and sick animals on the property, the former employee told the Idaho Statesman last year.
    — Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman, 16 Oct. 2026
  • What’s interesting is that Conan Doyle got sick of writing Sherlock Holmes.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of sick
Verb
  • The story centers on two ex-lovers who come back into each other’s lives after spending decades apart, only to find old feelings stirring with messy and mixed results.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Hall found that forecasting future consumer spending is virtually impossible.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of find
Verb
  • The stance has seen Newsom, who warns the passage of Prop 40 could see an exodus of the super rich from California, mocked and dismissed by fellow Democrats.
    — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The complaint was ultimately dismissed, and Iowa's Republican leaders celebrated the ruling.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of dismiss
Adjective
  • Investors and analysts are increasingly looking to other parts of the market, both to find neglected sources of value and to start assuming a defensive posture against a possible downturn.
    — Tobias Burns, CNBC, 16 July 2026
  • Changing their environment is more reliable and more neglected.
    — Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026
Definition of neglected
Adjective
  • For however poorly things are going — and the bad tone set by the starters has leaked into some defensive lapses and some pressing at the plate — the Padres got themselves into a really favorable position before this.
    — Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Sep. 2025
  • This involves having a poorly or non-functioning colon and is not usually reversible.
    — Dr. John De Jong, Boston Herald, 17 Aug. 2025
Definition of poorly
Verb
  • Dazzle, the new venture, is a personal AI assistant that learns from the photos on a user’s phone, said Mayer.
    — Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Rilke writes about solitude, love, patience and learning to live with uncertainty.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of learn

Browse Nearby Words

rundlets
rundown
run-down
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Cite this Entry

“Rundown.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rundown. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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