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
Trout was caught off the bag on Vaughn Grissom’s hard grounder to second but stayed in a rundown long enough for Grissom to reach second. — Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026 The Pixel 11's 4,985mAh battery lasted 19 hours and 13 minutes in our battery rundown benchmark, which involves streaming a YouTube video over Wi-Fi with the screen set to full brightness. — Florence Ion, PC Magazine, 25 Aug. 2026
Adjective
Yet things truly take a turn one day after Miguel stumbles upon a boy, Felipe (Yago Andreu), chained beneath the old water tank near the witch’s old, run-down house. — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 8 July 2026 Every week, Pitchfork offers a run-down of significant new releases available on streaming services. — Walden Green, Pitchfork, 3 July 2026
Verb
Take, for example, the watershed that runs down Clear Creek Canyon below Lookout Mountain, Mount Vernon and Rainbow Hill. — Megan Schrader, Denver Post, 27 Aug. 2026 Well, Bournemouth, the three points were yours in Manchester on Sunday, with the clock running down. — Stuart James, New York Times, 25 Aug. 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
  • The memo provides a summary of the agreement between Google and Entergy, as well as summaries of testimony provided by Entergy officials in support of the contract.
    — Sydney Sasser, Arkansas Online, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The letter from Blumenthal and an accompanying summary of the whistleblower’s statements says the Postal Service began work on the portal on June 15 and stopped on June 25 after Talwani’s initial order.
    — Nicholas Riccardi, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of summary
Adjective
  • This year alone, the Kansas City Fire Department has put out 24 fires in the vacant, dilapidated complex.
    — Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Velasco says corruption and low oil prices in the early 2000s contributed to the dilapidated state of Venezuela's facilities.
    — Willa Rubin, NPR, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of dilapidated
Adjective
  • Some recalls, Eskin said, are made after companies’ routine testing catches a pathogen before anyone gets sick, while others involve outbreaks that are already underway and vary widely in size and severity.
    — Dian Zhang, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Sanchez also ordered a meal from Taco Bell, but didn’t get sick.
    — Rebecca Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of sick
Verb
  • Much of that is because of Bowers, arguably the most talented tight end league-wide, but also because Mayer has found success in Kubiak’s heavy sets, and Thomas continues to provide value as a blocker.
    — Sam Warren, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Red walls, heavy draperies with swags and fringe, and jacquard fabrics with gold accents could be found in many homes.
    — Kristina McGuirk, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of find
Verb
  • But Smith dismissed the idea that Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney was trying to boost his chances in upcoming domestic elections.
    — Samantha Subin,CJ Haddad,Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Also Tuesday, just after court was dismissed, Dawn Light, 56, of Sutton, Massachusetts, was arrested outside the courthouse in Plymouth, a spokesperson for the Massachusetts State Police confirmed.
    — Blayne Alexander, NBC news, 2 Sep. 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
  • Instead, local communities have learned how the law enforcement agencies themselves have been misusing the technology to, in some cases, stalk and harass their citizens.
    — Irene Wright, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Palace’s intention was to correct the mistakes made in January and learn from last season by establishing a squad capable of competing in the Europa League without impacting their Premier League form.
    — Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 3 Sep. 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 4 Sep. 2026.

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