Synonyms of hit-and-runnext
1
: being or relating to a hit-and-run in baseball
2
: being or involving a motor-vehicle driver who does not stop after being involved in an accident
3
: involving or intended for quick specific action or results
a hit-and-run raid

hit-and-run

2 of 3

noun

: a baseball play calling for a runner on first to begin running as a pitch is delivered and for the batter to attempt to hit the pitch

hit-and-run

3 of 3

verb

hit-and-ran; hitting-and-running; hit-and-runs

intransitive verb

: to execute a hit-and-run play in baseball

Examples of hit-and-run in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Adjective
At the time of the hit-and-run, the purple-haired teenager was walking home from the bus stop in an area of the viaduct with no sidewalk. Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 23 June 2026 The middle-grade book centers on a 13-year-old Black girl named Sage, who unexpectedly loses her best friend in a hit-and-run accident. Shannon Carlin, Time, 16 June 2026
Noun
The mother of a man killed by a hit-and-run driver while riding his bike in Manhattan is demanding justice for her son. Kerry Burke, New York Daily News, 27 June 2026 Traffic-homicide detectives are investigating what police say is a hit-and-run. David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 25 June 2026
Verb
The family of a 96-year-old Bronx woman killed in an apparent hit-and-run earlier this week is demanding justice. Naveen Dhaliwal, CBS News, 30 June 2026 The fatal hit-and-run occurred less than two hours after a 13-year-old boy was killed riding on the back of a moped in Queens after his friend slammed into an open car door and then careened into a moving truck. Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 30 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for hit-and-run

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1894, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1904, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1966, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hit-and-run was in 1894

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hit-and-run.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hit-and-run. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Kids Definition

hit-and-run

adjective
-ˈrən
1
: being or involving a motor-vehicle driver who does not stop after having an accident
2
: involving or intended for quick action or results

Legal Definition

hit-and-run

adjective
1
: having left the scene of a motor vehicle accident without stopping to fulfill the duties imposed by law (as rendering aid or giving identification)
a hit-and-run driver
2
: involving or concerning a hit-and-run driver
a hit-and-run accident
hit-and-run statutes

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