1
as in finding
to come upon after searching, study, or effort
finally ran down the answer after hours of research
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dismissing
to express scornfully one's low opinion of
constantly running down the city's cultural life won't do anything to improve it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of running down
Several reservoirs, including Loch Lomond, the main water supply for the city of Santa Cruz, and Lake Cachuma, the largest reservoir in Santa Barbara County, were 100% full on Wednesday, with water running down their spillways.
—
Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 11 Feb. 2026
The Patriots bounced back immediately and showed some life after a streaker interrupted the game by running down the field and avoiding security guards.
—Doug Kyed, Hartford Courant, 9 Feb. 2026
Udogie came off in the second half at Old Trafford after pulling up while running down the left wing.
—Jay Harris, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2026
At trial, jurors viewed footage of an unmasked man running down a stairwell just after Johnson’s death.
—Meredith Colias-Pete, Chicago Tribune, 4 Feb. 2026
The Lake Tahoe property, once marketed as one of the region’s most expensive listings, features multiple structures on five acres, direct lake access, and two glass funiculars running down the hillside to the water.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 29 Jan. 2026
People are just running down the street.
—Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 24 Jan. 2026
With the shot clock running down, Franklin passed the ball from the near mid-pool to Franklin positioned in front of the Beckman goal.
—Dan Albano, Oc Register, 23 Jan. 2026
People just running down the street.
—Marci Robin, Allure, 23 Jan. 2026
Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 11 Feb. 2026
The Patriots bounced back immediately and showed some life after a streaker interrupted the game by running down the field and avoiding security guards.
—Doug Kyed, Hartford Courant, 9 Feb. 2026
Udogie came off in the second half at Old Trafford after pulling up while running down the left wing.
—Jay Harris, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2026
At trial, jurors viewed footage of an unmasked man running down a stairwell just after Johnson’s death.
—Meredith Colias-Pete, Chicago Tribune, 4 Feb. 2026
The Lake Tahoe property, once marketed as one of the region’s most expensive listings, features multiple structures on five acres, direct lake access, and two glass funiculars running down the hillside to the water.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 29 Jan. 2026
People are just running down the street.
—Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 24 Jan. 2026
With the shot clock running down, Franklin passed the ball from the near mid-pool to Franklin positioned in front of the Beckman goal.
—Dan Albano, Oc Register, 23 Jan. 2026
People just running down the street.
—Marci Robin, Allure, 23 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for running down
Verb
-
The grim news out of Tucson is that, thirteen days into the search for Nancy Guthrie, the odds of finding her alive have been dropping by the hour.—
Paige Williams,
New Yorker,
14 Feb. 2026
-
The impact is expected to hit the bottom of the employment pyramid hardest, with research finding big drops in hiring among 22- to 25-year-olds in tech and customer service, The Economist reported.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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If addiction ends in reconnection, as Kennedy says, then dismissing interventions that create stability, trust, and continuity in people’s lives is counterproductive.—
Washington Post,
Washington Post,
10 Feb. 2026
-
But the designer explained in his letter that the seasonal campaign is more focused on the theme of dependency and the support of a community, dismissing self sufficiency.—
Luisa Zargani,
Footwear News,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Enhance your media literacy by learning the differences between news and opinion and, further, how to differentiate between advertising, news articles, letters, columns and editorials.—
Brenda Looper,
Arkansas Online,
11 Feb. 2026
-
YouTube pushed back on addiction claims YouTube wasn’t originally part of the lawsuit; Kaley and her mother decided to add it after learning about the platform’s addictive qualities, Lanier said.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
Mercury News,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Parchment paper is an essential kitchen tool, helping cooks and bakers prepare flawless dishes while minimizing cleanup.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
10 Feb. 2026
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The innovative idea also focuses on reducing operational costs, minimizing the requirement for buying expensive land to build data centers.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
In the simplest case, an unexpected reward (say, discovering some tasty fruit when hungry, or having someone attractive declare their love for you) causes a burst of dopamine release into a part of the basal ganglia known as the striatum—specifically, the nucleus accumbens.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Feb. 2026
-
While the popularity of these app-blocking devices increases (Novelli said the company has sold more than 60,000), questions remain about their efficacy when the people who buy them are mainly discovering the devices through the internet—and talking about them on social media.—
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez,
Fortune,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Forever captures the rush and confusion of first love without talking down to its audience.—
Okla Jones,
Essence,
14 Dec. 2025
-
Never met someone successful ever talking down to someone online.—
Tracy Wright,
FOXNews.com,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Her authority has been challenged in several high-profile cases, diminishing hopes in both progressive and populist MAGA circles for tough antitrust enforcement.—
Rohan Goswami,
semafor.com,
9 Feb. 2026
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The tiredness of the players has a diminishing effect on the level of spectacle and the games and goals become unmemorable.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Prayer requests have accompanied Guthrie’s calls for help locating her mother.—
Jose R. Gonzalez,
AZCentral.com,
8 Feb. 2026
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The findings underscore the importance of incorporating oral traditions into heritage protection, as folklore contains crucial information for locating these sites.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Running down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/running%20down. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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