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
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Recent Examples of runaway
Zach Wichter, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2025
Paige Bueckers, the runaway for Rookie of the Year and already one of the best in the league.
—Marcus Thompson Ii, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2025
Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 16 Sep. 2025
The 2025 regular season has been one of the most lopsided ones in NWSL history at the top, with the Kansas City Current running away with the Shield, 14 points ahead of second-place Washington Spirit.
—Molly Geary, Sportico.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Scott Stossel, The Atlantic, 9 Sep. 2025
Even at a quarter-throttle, the 765LT pulls like a runaway train.
—Sean Evans, Robb Report, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for runaway
Verb
Because of this, detection of thermal runaway and firefighting measures may be delayed in flight, increasing the risk to safety.
—Zach Wichter, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2025
Paige Bueckers, the runaway for Rookie of the Year and already one of the best in the league.
—Marcus Thompson Ii, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
When match officials placed a more-than-three-foot-tall trophy in the middle of the ring, Ali grabbed it and feigned running away with it.
—Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 16 Sep. 2025
The 2025 regular season has been one of the most lopsided ones in NWSL history at the top, with the Kansas City Current running away with the Shield, 14 points ahead of second-place Washington Spirit.
—Molly Geary, Sportico.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Noun
Nicholas is especially attuned to how the distortion of visual perception can trigger a cascade of runaway mental and physical responses.
—Scott Stossel, The Atlantic, 9 Sep. 2025
Even at a quarter-throttle, the 765LT pulls like a runaway train.
—Sean Evans, Robb Report, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for runaway
Recent Examples of Synonyms for runaway
Verb
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In this week's PEOPLE cover story, Elvis' ex-wife, Priscilla Presley, sets the record straight on the conspiracies that the King of Rock 'n' Roll is still alive and faked his death at age 42 in 1977, in order to escape fame.—
Brianne Tracy,
PEOPLE,
20 Sep. 2025
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West Ham United is aiming to escape the Premier League's relegation zone when an undefeated Crystal Palace visits the London Stadium on Saturday.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In the image from 1984, Prow Knob is almost entirely surrounded by the Alsek Glacier, but by 1999, the glacier had retreated, encircling only half of the mountain.—
Jasmine Laws,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Sep. 2025
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As your celestial ruler, Venus, takes a dip in your sleepy 12th house of resting, retreating and surrendering to the ebb and flow of your spirit, you’re encouraged to slow down.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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In places where the rule of law is weak or red tape is rampant, founders spend more time navigating paperwork and loopholes than building value.—
Anuradha Gupta,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
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This rampant, unauthorized AI use degrades the educational experience of individual students who overly rely on the technology and those who wish to avoid using it.—
Tyler Austin Harper,
The Atlantic,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The series appeared to be headed for a sweep in the acting categories when Britt Lower pulled an upset early in the ceremony by taking the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series over Matlock nominee Kathy Bates.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
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The mass arrest marks the largest sweep yet in the crackdown at US worksites.—
Zoe Sottile,
CNN Money,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Following its defeat by Communist Party forces in the Chinese Civil War, the Chinese Nationalist movement, led by Chiang Kai-shek, fled to the island in 1949 as a government in exile.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
16 Sep. 2025
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In six months, the site has grown from 600 people fleeing gang attacks in nearby Delmas 30 to 5,000 people from all over the capital, sheltering in packed government offices and makeshift shacks.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Heading into spring break this year, airlines were flying fewer seats than in the previous spring, and the downward trend continues.—
Zach Wichter,
USA Today,
18 Sep. 2025
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Passengers wanting to fly the MJ500 regional aircraft will need some patience.—
Michael Verdon,
Robb Report,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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McVay has long declined to play his starters in the preseason, an uncontrolled environment with full contact and tackling risks injuries before the games even start to count.—
Adam Grosbard,
Oc Register,
18 Sep. 2025
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Low platelet counts increase the risk of uncontrolled bleeding.—
Lindsay Curtis,
Health,
14 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The Trojans opened the season with blowouts against overmatched opponents at home, beating FCS Missouri State 73-13 before blasting Georgia Southern 59-20.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Sep. 2025
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Cade Saunders and Elijah Womack both had rushing TDs in the first quarter to accelerate the blowout, and Saunders also had a pick to set up another first-half score.—
Matt Schubert,
Denver Post,
20 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Runaway.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/runaway. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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