1
as in ejected
to drive or force out
the dog often ran off cats and other animals that had intruded upon his owner's property
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in escaped
to get free from a dangerous or confining situation
their rebellious daughter's run off because she was disciplined again
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in retreated
to hasten away from something dangerous or frightening
the mouse ran off as soon as it saw us
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 ran off
The shooter, wearing a blue sweater, ran off and has not been caught, cops said.
—
Sheetal Banchariya, New York Daily News, 30 Mar. 2026
Witnesses intervened and the attacker ran off.
—Todd Feurer, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
The legislation is named for Bailey’s autistic daughter, Laila, who once ran off without a trace, a terrifying reality for many families caring for people with disabilities.
—Danielle J. Brown, Baltimore Sun, 22 Mar. 2026
Miami held tight to its slim lead until midway through the second half, when the Tigers ran off eight straight points to pull ahead.
—ABC News, 21 Mar. 2026
The Acura ran off the side of the road and collided with a traffic light and some private property, police said.
—City News Service, Daily News, 9 Mar. 2026
West Virginia led 56-43 with 90 seconds left before TCU ran off seven straight points to provide some hope.
—Dallas Morning News, 8 Mar. 2026
For an unknown reason, the vehicle ran off the roadway right and struck a sign and a fence, FHP said.
—Elainie Barraza, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Mar. 2026
Sheetal Banchariya, New York Daily News, 30 Mar. 2026
Witnesses intervened and the attacker ran off.
—Todd Feurer, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
The legislation is named for Bailey’s autistic daughter, Laila, who once ran off without a trace, a terrifying reality for many families caring for people with disabilities.
—Danielle J. Brown, Baltimore Sun, 22 Mar. 2026
Miami held tight to its slim lead until midway through the second half, when the Tigers ran off eight straight points to pull ahead.
—ABC News, 21 Mar. 2026
The Acura ran off the side of the road and collided with a traffic light and some private property, police said.
—City News Service, Daily News, 9 Mar. 2026
West Virginia led 56-43 with 90 seconds left before TCU ran off seven straight points to provide some hope.
—Dallas Morning News, 8 Mar. 2026
For an unknown reason, the vehicle ran off the roadway right and struck a sign and a fence, FHP said.
—Elainie Barraza, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ran off
Verb
-
Bucknor, who has been an MLB umpire since 1996, ejected Red Sox manager Alex Cora after calling Trevor Story out on a check swing.—
Steve Henson,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Patience, who was a senior at Chapel Hill High School, was ejected from the vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.—
Abigail Adams,
PEOPLE,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In one instance, a detainee escaped when there was no staff assigned to watch the perimeter fences.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Vivian smooths any potential strands that may have escaped from her low bun and then brushes up the steep stone steps to the front door.—
Danielle Parker,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But as senators retreated to privately discuss the new plan, action stalled out.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Oil prices have retreated, but there are no signs of a broader relief rally this morning.—
Leonie Kidd,
CNBC,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In February, the judge overseeing the case dismissed several claims against the bank, but let stand two others.—
Chase Jordan,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Far too often, symptoms such as fatigue, swelling, shortness of breath and nerve pain are misdiagnosed or dismissed.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The man struck Stallworth and started fighting with him, gaining control of the gun, tried to return fire and fled the scene, the affidavit states.—
Meredith Colias-Pete,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Accused of political incompetence, Bani Sadr was impeached by parliament in 1981 and subsequently fled into exile.—
Roxane Razavi,
The Conversation,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
That process has effectively scared many people away from filling out paperwork to recertify with Medi-Cal due to fears of being outed by the federal government, which is cracking down on undocumented immigrants by apprehending and deporting them.—
Pat Maio,
Oc Register,
22 Mar. 2026
-
The new season sees Reid's Lestat de Lioncourt living the rockstar life, as vampires have been outed by author Daniel Molloy (Eric Bobosian) in his book that interviews Louis de Pointe du Lac (Jacob Anderson).—
Debbie Day,
Entertainment Weekly,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Morris and the other juvenile ran away, while the 16-year-old boy made his way to Banta Place and State Street, where he was found by police officers responding to reports of an injured person, officials said.—
CBS New York Team,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Gorman whispered to her friends that someone was there, Pekara said, and the group ran away.—
Madeline Buckley,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Andrew Higgins, an aerospace engineer at McGill University, worries that the LEGO-like way that SR-1 Freedom has been planned—with lots of parts from different, unrelated projects just waiting to be bolted together—vastly understates the challenge ahead.—
David W. Brown,
Scientific American,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The Chiefs since bolted for a sweetheart deal in Kansas.—
Sam McDowell,
Kansas City Star,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ran off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ran%20off. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
