runoff

1 of 2

noun

run·​off ˈrən-ˌȯf 

1

: a final race, contest, or election to decide an earlier one that has not resulted in a decision in favor of any one competitor

2

: the portion of precipitation on land that ultimately reaches streams often with dissolved or suspended material

run off

2 of 2

verb

ran off; run off; running off; runs off

transitive verb

1

a

: to recite, compose, or produce rapidly

b

: to cause to be run or played to a finish

c

: to decide (a race) by a runoff

d

: carry out

2

: to drain off : draw off

3

a

: to drive off (someone, such as a trespasser)

b

: to steal (animals, such as cattle) by driving away

intransitive verb

: run away sense 1

see also run off with

Synonyms

Verb

• banish
• boot (out)
• bounce
• cast out
• chase
• dismiss
• drum (out)
• eject
• expel
• extrude
• kick out
• oust
• out
• rout
• throw out
• turf (out) [chiefly British]
• turn out

Examples of runoff in a Sentence

Verb

the dog often ran off cats and other animals that had intruded upon his owner's property

their rebellious daughter's run off because she was disciplined again

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Water Conservation: Unlike conventional farming, where excessive water use leads to runoff and waste, Oishii’s system recycles a whopping 95% of its water. —Chrissy Tracey, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025

Most of the water in the Boise River watershed comes from snow runoff from the Sawtooth mountains. —Olivia Brandon, Idaho Statesman, 23 Mar. 2025

Verb

Worth noting Willy Adames and Wilmer Flores hit back-to-back home runs off A’s left-hander Jeffrey Springs. —Justice Delos Santos, The Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2025

But the Tritons grabbed a pair of offensive rebounds to run off big chunks of the clock, and Gallegos’ block on Nya Epps was followed by Sabrina Ma’s uncontested layup at the other end that sealed it. —Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1867, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Verb

1680, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Rhymes for runoff

• ashraf
• checkoff
• cutoff
• falloff
• handoff
• kickoff
• layoff
• liftoff
• markoff
• markov
• payoff
• playoff

Kids Definition

runoff

1 of 2 noun

run·​off ˈrən-ˌȯf 

1

: a final contest or election to decide an earlier one that has not given the victory to one competitor

2

: water from rain or snow that flows over the surface of the ground and finally into streams

run off

2 of 2 verb

ˈrən-ˈȯf,

ˌrən-

1

: to produce rapidly

2

: to decide by a runoff

3

: to drive away

4

: run away sense 1