1
: a football play in which the ballcarrier attempts to run wide around the end of the line
specifically
: sweep sense 3e
2
: an evasive trick or maneuver
made an end run around the regulations
end-ran; end-running; end-runs
: to avoid artfully
end-running the law
Examples of end run in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Peter Elkind, ProPublica, 11 Apr. 2025
But some legal experts point to plausible strategies for attempting end runs around the 22nd Amendment under unusual scenarios.
—Hansi Lo Wang, NPR, 31 Mar. 2025
Ariel Cohen, Forbes, 22 Nov. 2024
To some, pouring private dollars into nonprofits that mobilize voters and build movements seems like an end-run around laws limiting tax-exempt organizations’ ability to get involved in politics.
—Alex Daniels, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 2024
See All Example Sentences for end run
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Noun
With the aid of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency team, Trump appears to be attempting an end run that could succeed where his past attempts failed: by simply terminating the consulting contract that the Department of Energy relies on to develop and enforce the rules.
—Peter Elkind, ProPublica, 11 Apr. 2025
But some legal experts point to plausible strategies for attempting end runs around the 22nd Amendment under unusual scenarios.
—Hansi Lo Wang, NPR, 31 Mar. 2025
Verb
Large Chinese banks tightened transactions with Russia in response to sanctions pressures, but at the same time numerous Chinese cut-outs and smaller banks became involved in creating ways to end-run them.
—Ariel Cohen, Forbes, 22 Nov. 2024
To some, pouring private dollars into nonprofits that mobilize voters and build movements seems like an end-run around laws limiting tax-exempt organizations’ ability to get involved in politics.
—Alex Daniels, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 2024
See All Example Sentences for end run
Cite this Entry
“End run.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/end%20run. Accessed 20 Apr. 2025.
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