1
as in escaped
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 retreated
to hasten away from something dangerous or frightening
the child runs away from large dogs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ran away
In nonconference games, Arizona nudged Florida (93-87), UCLA (69-65) and UConn (71-67) and also ran away from Auburn (97-68) and Alabama (96-75).
—
Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 8 Feb. 2026
Dez Bryant hauled in six passes and 158 yards for two touchdowns in the first half alone as Dallas ran away from the Jags for a 31-17 victory.
—Sportsday Staff, Dallas Morning News, 6 Feb. 2026
The student supposedly ran away from Wright and tried to hide under the bleachers.
—Garfield Hylton, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Feb. 2026
Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan ran away with the AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award.
—Rob Maaddi, Twin Cities, 6 Feb. 2026
Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan ran away with the Offensive Rookie of the Year award.
—Rob Maaddi, Chicago Tribune, 6 Feb. 2026
The teen ran away from the Mesa group home three times in 2023, ABC15 reported.
—Christine Pelisek, PEOPLE, 29 Jan. 2026
In 1802, seventeen-year-old Thomas De Quincey, the son of a wealthy merchant, ran away from his Manchester boarding school.
—Hari Kunzru, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
The people enslaved at the mansion included Oney Judge, who famously ran away and remained free despite Washington’s attempts to return her to bondage.
—Tassanee Vejpongsa, Fortune, 23 Jan. 2026
Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 8 Feb. 2026
Dez Bryant hauled in six passes and 158 yards for two touchdowns in the first half alone as Dallas ran away from the Jags for a 31-17 victory.
—Sportsday Staff, Dallas Morning News, 6 Feb. 2026
The student supposedly ran away from Wright and tried to hide under the bleachers.
—Garfield Hylton, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Feb. 2026
Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan ran away with the AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award.
—Rob Maaddi, Twin Cities, 6 Feb. 2026
Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan ran away with the Offensive Rookie of the Year award.
—Rob Maaddi, Chicago Tribune, 6 Feb. 2026
The teen ran away from the Mesa group home three times in 2023, ABC15 reported.
—Christine Pelisek, PEOPLE, 29 Jan. 2026
In 1802, seventeen-year-old Thomas De Quincey, the son of a wealthy merchant, ran away from his Manchester boarding school.
—Hari Kunzru, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
The people enslaved at the mansion included Oney Judge, who famously ran away and remained free despite Washington’s attempts to return her to bondage.
—Tassanee Vejpongsa, Fortune, 23 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ran away
Verb
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That season’s squad, which had gone to the NIT three straight years, escaped the non-conference schedule with a record of 9-2.—
PJ Green,
Kansas City Star,
5 Feb. 2026
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The rescue came about after Jordan Turpin — who was 17 at the time — escaped from the home and told authorities about their captivity and abuse.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Aljorna and Sosa-Celis retreated into their upstairs apartment and barricaded the door, so federal officers used tear gas to try to force the men out, the FBI agent said.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Feb. 2026
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An impartial onlooker could even reasonably conclude that Trevor took one glance at his opposition and retreated to the safety of a forward-facing position.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Haitian immigrant, along with hundreds of thousands of others in the past decade, fled his home country to escape violence and repression.—
Dan Horn,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
5 Feb. 2026
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Mitchell’s companion yanked a necklace off Reed’s neck before both suspects fled the area, authorities said.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Lofton’s foster father drove him to a mental health provider, but the teen ran off.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
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The man put his personal effects on the ground, and Cherry took the man's phone and ran off, prosecutors said.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Nothing has to be glued or bolted together, and no complicated Ikea-style instructions take up your entire afternoon.—
Maryna Holovnova,
New Atlas,
9 Feb. 2026
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The driver bolted, state police said.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Montanez allegedly got out of a vehicle and entered the one containing fentanyl before directing the driver to a service plaza on Route 15.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
11 Feb. 2026
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When news of this got out, the press went wild.—
Allie Garfinkle,
Fortune,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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John Gaspar was not expecting the winter heating bills for his Chicago studio apartment to top $160 a month, especially since running the air conditioning over the summer was not particularly expensive.—
Tami Luhby,
CNN Money,
12 Feb. 2026
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Once fully operational, the campus is designed to deliver 1GW of capacity, giving the company flexibility to run both its core digital platforms and fast-growing AI workloads.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ran away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ran%20away. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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