Illustration of roadrunner
roadrunner
noun
road·run·ner
ˈrōd-ˌrə-nər 
: a largely terrestrial bird (Geococcyx californianus) of the cuckoo family that has a long tail and a crest, is a speedy runner, and inhabits arid regions from the southwestern U.S. to Mexico
also
: a closely related bird (G. velox) of Mexico and Central America
Examples of roadrunner in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Its 7,400 acres sit within the 62,000-acre Red Cliffs Desert Reserve, home to coyotes, roadrunners, kit foxes and canyon tree frogs.
—
Ruffin Prevost, New York Times, 21 May 2025
Thanks to thoughtful landscaping, the gardens now attract an increasing variety of local fauna, including birds and roadrunners, adding even more life to the experience.
—Natalie Stoclet, Forbes, 14 Jan. 2025
The Sonoran Desert, which covers much of the southwestern United States, is a vast expanse of arid earth where cartoonish entities—roadrunners, tumbleweeds, telephone-pole-tall succulents—make occasional appearances.
—Alice Gregory, The New Yorker, 2 Dec. 2024
Bennett pounded out a game-high 11 hits and that doesn’t count the first solid hit on Edmonton roadrunner Connor McDavid, spilling McDavid as the Oilers rush went offside at the Panthers line.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 9 June 2024
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Ruffin Prevost, New York Times, 21 May 2025
Thanks to thoughtful landscaping, the gardens now attract an increasing variety of local fauna, including birds and roadrunners, adding even more life to the experience.
—Natalie Stoclet, Forbes, 14 Jan. 2025
The Sonoran Desert, which covers much of the southwestern United States, is a vast expanse of arid earth where cartoonish entities—roadrunners, tumbleweeds, telephone-pole-tall succulents—make occasional appearances.
—Alice Gregory, The New Yorker, 2 Dec. 2024
Bennett pounded out a game-high 11 hits and that doesn’t count the first solid hit on Edmonton roadrunner Connor McDavid, spilling McDavid as the Oilers rush went offside at the Panthers line.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 9 June 2024
See All Example Sentences for roadrunner
Cite this Entry
“Roadrunner.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/roadrunner. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
roadrunner
noun
road·run·ner
ˈrō-ˌdrən-ər
: a long-tailed ground-dwelling bird of the southwestern U.S. that usually travels by running
called also chaparral bird, chaparral cock
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