running 1 of 4

Definition of runningnext
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running

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noun

running

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adverb

running

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verb

present participle of run
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as in leading
to be positioned along a certain course or in a certain direction the road runs along the river for a while

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as in ranging
to occur within a continuous range of variation the electric bill runs between 30 and 50 dollars a month

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as in tending
to show a liking or proneness (for something) unfortunately, members of his family run to fatness

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as in driving
to urge, push, or force onward they ran the horses hard in order to get to the ranch quickly

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as in becoming
to eventually have as a state or quality the poor woman ran herself ragged trying to care for all those children

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as in costing
to have a price of that sort of computer runs at least several hundred dollars

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of running
Adjective
Our running joke in the cast is that no one has anywhere to hide. Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026 Cristobal also gave him credit for his work in the running game in the postseason. Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 16 Apr. 2026
Noun
This is a running list and is regularly being updated. Shelby Stewart, Essence, 14 May 2026 Drain and rinse under cold running water. Rebecca Firkser, Bon Appetit Magazine, 14 May 2026
Verb
Two men were seen running from the area before officers arrived, per the BPD. Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 16 May 2026 Deborah Ortiz, a former state lawmaker who is also running for the seat, had raised $56,643 as of April 18. Theresa Clift, Sacbee.com, 16 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for running
Recent Examples of Synonyms for running
Adjective
  • Exxon operates some of the wells directly and holds a financial, non-operating interest in the others.
    Rachel Nostrant, Houston Chronicle, 26 Jan. 2026
  • Last year, though revenue and operating profit increased, non-operating red ink pushed the company into a full-year loss of NT$766 million, or $25 million.
    Russell Flannery, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • The third-year students spent nearly a year developing and refining the engine, which runs through continuous rotating explosions in a circular chamber.
    Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 18 May 2026
  • That idea is at the center of Continuous Detection, Continuous Response (CDCR), a new framework implemented through Mate Security’s platform for converging those functions into a single continuous cycle.
    K.H. Koehler, USA Today, 18 May 2026
Noun
  • After the modernising ethos of the Eyraud era, this — the thinking went — was a way of putting football back at the very heart of the club’s management structure.
    Tom Williams, New York Times, 17 May 2026
  • This lasted until 2023, when new management company Storey Hotel Management (who also run Nanuku Resort in Fiji and the Ameswell Hotel in California) took over, and the resort has maintained its elegance and quiet luxury.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 May 2026
Adverb
  • Most recently, analysis of pollen trapped in the ship’s waterproofing layers have yielded insight into repairs made successively in other locations throughout the Adriatic Sea, according to a paper published in the journal Frontiers in Materials.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 2 May 2026
  • Thanks to the South's long growing season, many crops, such as beans, can be planted and harvested successively over a longer period of time.
    Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 12 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Adames took off on contact, jogging without any sense of urgency.
    Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 14 May 2026
  • Back in April 2020, shortly after moving to Atlanta from South Florida, Bailey said he was hit by a car while jogging on Peachtree Street.
    Rashad Williams, CBS News, 11 May 2026
Verb
  • These include serving as a flying test bed for in orbit manufacturing of alloys, composite materials, and fibers as well as research and production of space medicine.
    Aditya Jadhav, Interesting Engineering, 18 May 2026
  • Bystanders, including young children, were forced to corner themselves inside the restaurant to avoid being struck by the flying chairs.
    Mike Stunson, USA Today, 18 May 2026
Verb
  • Both teams were shorthanded, as Indiana star Aliyah Boston missed her first WNBA game due to a lower right leg injury, and Storm forward and leading scorer Dominique Malonga missed her first game this season due to a concussion.
    James Boyd, New York Times, 18 May 2026
  • The leading 10 players come from seven countries, four of them major champions.
    Doug Ferguson, Chicago Tribune, 17 May 2026
Verb
  • Beauty tourism refers to traveling internationally for cosmetic or aesthetic procedures rather than receiving them locally, with treatments ranging from skincare and injectables to surgical enhancements like rhinoplasty and body contouring.
    Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 14 May 2026
  • By adjusting internal magnetization patterns and using a three-axis Helmholtz coil system, the robot can move at angles ranging from 0° to 122°, roll, climb slopes, and navigate tight or curved paths.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 14 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Running.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/running. Accessed 20 May. 2026.

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