1
as in to escape
to get free from a dangerous or confining situation
ran away from an unhappy marriage
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to retreat
to hasten away from something dangerous or frightening
the child runs away from large dogs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in rampant
showing no signs of being under control
a region plagued by runaway suburban sprawl
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in sweep
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of runaway
Steve Buckley, New York Times, 12 May 2025
Shane Lowry was the last victor there six years ago, his Saturday 63 sparking a six-shot runaway and a party that may have only recently ended.
—Justin Ray, New York Times, 16 June 2025
Literary Hub, 9 July 2025
The Tesla’s driver, later identified as Jimenez, then allegedly attempted to run away from the scene but was quickly arrested by CHP officers, according to investigators.
—Caleb Lunetta, Mercury News, 3 July 2025
Katie Campione, Deadline, 2 July 2025
Among her peers, the opportunity to pursue postgraduate studies at an American university was the runaway first choice.
—Lavender Au, The Atlantic, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for runaway
Verb
Perhaps that’s too strong, but the 24-year-old girlfriend of the 73-year-old North Carolina football coach Bill Belichick has now logged consecutive close-but-no-cigar finishes on the runaway.
—Steve Buckley, New York Times, 12 May 2025
Shane Lowry was the last victor there six years ago, his Saturday 63 sparking a six-shot runaway and a party that may have only recently ended.
—Justin Ray, New York Times, 16 June 2025
Adjective
Lily rolled over, now, onto her back, away from her husband’s meticulous ledgers, and tried to capture her breath, which along with her heart, these days, had the habit of running away from her.
—Literary Hub, 9 July 2025
The Tesla’s driver, later identified as Jimenez, then allegedly attempted to run away from the scene but was quickly arrested by CHP officers, according to investigators.
—Caleb Lunetta, Mercury News, 3 July 2025
Noun
The state’s production community has been sounding the alarm on runaway production for years.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 2 July 2025
Among her peers, the opportunity to pursue postgraduate studies at an American university was the runaway first choice.
—Lavender Au, The Atlantic, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for runaway
Recent Examples of Synonyms for runaway
Verb
-
For more than two decades, a special team of Mexican police officers has quietly worked along the northern border to track down and deport foreign fugitives who cross into Mexico to escape criminal charges in their home countries.—
Time,
Time,
9 July 2025
-
Tanya Ramsey's brother and mother were staying in a cabin 100 yards away, and Jeff Ramsey's call to them gave them enough time to escape, Jake Ramsey said.—
Emily Shapiro,
ABC News,
9 July 2025
Verb
-
And in this story, Superman retreats from the world after being rejected by the public for adhering to an older moral code.—
Ari Daniel,
Smithsonian Magazine,
10 July 2025
-
The nonsectarian center hosts retreats that range from 3 to 13 nights, for a wide variety of experience levels, with a central focus on Theravadin teachings and bodhicitta (striving to attain enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings).—
AFAR Media,
AFAR Media,
9 July 2025
Adjective
-
Crime in New York was rampant, and racial tensions were high.—
Robert Chiarito,
Chicago Tribune,
14 July 2025
-
The innovation has been rampant, with AI usage evolving from coding assistants led by GitHub Copilot to next-gen vibe coding tools like Cursor and Windsurf (all, coincidentally, built on top of Microsoft’s open source VSCode IDE).—
Jason Andersen,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
Noun
-
The Orioles completed a weekend sweep of Atlanta on Sunday.—
Tim Britton,
New York Times,
7 July 2025
-
Drumming up another postseason push: After a sweep in LA, a fifth straight AL West title for the Astros seems inevitable.—
Jeff Sanders,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 July 2025
Verb
-
In July 1987, flooding on the Guadalupe River in Kerr County forced hundreds of people to flee the area.—
Toria Sheffield,
People.com,
12 July 2025
-
The man continued to flee through the Cub Foods parking lot, toward the occupied grocery store, where an officer fired multiple gunshots at the man.—
Kristi Miller,
Twin Cities,
11 July 2025
Verb
-
Passengers flying in the United States at certain airports are no longer required to take off their shoes when going through security lines, according to news outlets including CBS News and The New York Times on Monday.—
Anna Commander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 July 2025
-
Gunn’s approach is colorful, in both its palette and the costumes; proudly fantastical, with flying orbs, robots, portals, and giant monsters; and at times endearingly, intentionally corny (see: Krypto the super dog).—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
7 July 2025
Adjective
-
The sheep, introduced over a century ago, grazed uncontrolled and destroyed nearly a third of the island's vegetation, leading to severe soil erosion and habitat degradation.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
6 July 2025
-
By Thursday afternoon, the blaze continues to burn uncontrolled.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
4 July 2025
Noun
-
Then pick up the Dyson Airwrap for easy blowouts at home.—
Isabel Garcia,
People.com,
9 July 2025
-
For the most part, he's either entered a game as a defensive replacement, a pinch-runner, or as a pinch-hitter in a blowout.—
Zach Pressnell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Runaway.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/runaway. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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