run off 1 of 2

verb

Definition of run offnext
1
as in to out
to drive or force out the dog often ran off cats and other animals that had intruded upon his owner's property

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to escape
to get free from a dangerous or confining situation their rebellious daughter's run off because she was disciplined again

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3
as in to retreat
to hasten away from something dangerous or frightening the mouse ran off as soon as it saw us

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runoff

2 of 2

noun

as in fresh

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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 off
Verb
During a 2021 game with Tampa Bay against the New York Jets, Brown took off his jersey, shoulder pads and gloves and ran off the field, leading to his release by the Buccaneers and effectively ending his career. — ABC News, 30 Sep. 2026 Walker’s Harley-Davidson struck the deer near Beaverdam Road, overturned, skidded crossed the center line and ran off the road, Freeman said. — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 28 Sep. 2026
Noun
That framework includes rain barrels but often takes the form of swales, slope-sided channels that soak up rainwater and manage runoff and erosion. — Pedro Moura, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026 That runoff is critical because Aurora doesn't rely on rainwater that falls directly within city limits for its supply. — Kelly Werthmann, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for run off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for run off
  1. out
  2. escape
  3. retreat
  4. fresh
  5. eject
  6. flee
  7. fly
  8. freshet
Verb
  • Bunnie Xo’s post-divorce fun is raising eyebrows after a cozy Waffle House outing with 24-year-old reality star Dylan Wolf sent fans into a frenzy over their age gap.
    — Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian stepped out for a very rare family outing with their two daughters.
    — Juliana Ukiomogbe, InStyle, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of out
Verb
  • As the comet rotates, fresh ice enters the sunlight and sublimates; the escaping gas then drags entrained dust particles away from the nucleus.
    — Joe Rao, Space.com, 13 Oct. 2026
  • In July, two of OpenAI’s models escaped a testing environment and hacked the open-source AI platform Hugging Face.
    — Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of escape
Verb
  • Meanwhile, conservative activists spread rumors last week that Talarico was struggling with his mental health and had secretly retreated to an Ohio hospital.
    — Lauren Green, The Washington Examiner, 15 Oct. 2026
  • While Chelsea tend to retreat after taking the lead, their opponents also become more aggressive in response, committing extra bodies forward and helping to create more open, end-to-end encounters.
    — Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of retreat
Noun
  • The feeling may not be mutual with the 28-year-old fresh off a disappointing and turbulent season.
    — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Not to the 5-star recruit, the third-round pick, the 25-year-old fresh off a breakout third season.
    — Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of fresh
Verb
  • Both occupants were ejected from the vehicle onto the road, according to the crash log.
    — Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Then, safety Zechariah Poyser was ejected for targeting on FSU quarterback Ashton Daniels.
    — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of eject
Verb
  • Bassam Abed said at least 10 residences housing some 300 families were reduced to rubble, and families were not given enough time to flee.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Other passengers included André Breton, Victor Serge, and Claude Lévi-Strauss—all fleeing the inferno.
    — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of flee
Verb
  • The company had been gearing up to fly several more this year having already been given approval to fly as many as 12 times a year.
    — Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2026
  • For the 31st time as secretary of state, Marco Rubio has left on a trip abroad, flying to Uzbekistan and later India amid rumblings that America's top diplomat is ignoring pressing matters in favor of politically safer visits and meetings.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of fly
Noun
  • The Hudson River had a little current, fed by freshets from upstream with local rains, and melting snow farther up, in the Adirondacks.
    — Ian Frazier, The New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2020
  • As August turned to September, the sun dropped and the first cold freshet of autumn rainwater flowed out of the mountains and tickled the noses of the salmon waiting off Astoria, where the Columbia meets the Pacific Ocean.
    — Patrick Symmes, Harper's magazine, 28 Oct. 2019
Definition of freshet

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Cite this Entry

“Run off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/run%20off. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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