run·away
ˈrə-nə-ˌwā 
1
: one that runs away from danger, duty, or restraint : fugitive
2
: the act of running away out of control
also
: something (such as a horse) that is running out of control
3
: a one-sided or overwhelming victory
1
a
: running away : fugitive
b
: leaving to gain special advantages (such as lower wages) or avoid disadvantages (such as governmental or union restrictions)
runaway shipping firms
a runaway shop
2
: accomplished by elopement or during flight
3
: won by or having a long lead
a runaway success
also
: extremely successful
a runaway bestseller
4
: subject to uncontrolled changes
runaway inflation
5
: being or operating out of control
a runaway oil well
a runaway nuclear reactor
ran away; run away; running away; runs away
1
a
: to leave quickly in order to avoid or escape something
b
: to leave home
especially
: elope
3
: to gain a substantial lead : win by a large margin
see also run away with
Synonyms
Examples of runaway in a Sentence
Adjective
The play was a runaway success.
a region plagued by runaway suburban sprawl
Verb
ran away from an unhappy marriage
the child runs away from large dogs
Recent Examples on the Web
Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 10 Jan. 2025
Arizona cowboy lassos runaway steer in epic capture Cowboy Carter Johnston posted a video to his Instagram page on Nov. 16, showing Johnston and his horse chasing down a feral steer in the mountains near Seligman in northern Arizona.
—Shelby Slade, The Arizona Republic, 27 Dec. 2024
The Editors, National Review, 5 Feb. 2025
Back in the day, major brands only released a few fragrances a year, but now hundreds of scents can hit the market in a fraction of the time, and each of them is an attempt to capitalize on runaway successes like that of Glossier You.
—Kara Nesvig, Allure, 4 Feb. 2025
Barbie Latza Nadeau and George Ramsay, CNN, 23 Jan. 2025
And Howard’s near-perfect night let the Buckeyes run away from Notre Dame in the title game.
—Stewart Mandel, The Athletic, 21 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for runaway 
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Noun
The Vigilance Committee subscribed to papers including the Baltimore Sun and Richmond Dispatch, which carried advertisements from slavers looking for runaways.
—Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 10 Jan. 2025
Arizona cowboy lassos runaway steer in epic capture Cowboy Carter Johnston posted a video to his Instagram page on Nov. 16, showing Johnston and his horse chasing down a feral steer in the mountains near Seligman in northern Arizona.
—Shelby Slade, The Arizona Republic, 27 Dec. 2024
Adjective
At least, though, a Republican administration is finally grappling with this runaway agency.
—The Editors, National Review, 5 Feb. 2025
Back in the day, major brands only released a few fragrances a year, but now hundreds of scents can hit the market in a fraction of the time, and each of them is an attempt to capitalize on runaway successes like that of Glossier You.
—Kara Nesvig, Allure, 4 Feb. 2025
Verb
The roar of violent explosions, the sky turning red, screams, the buildings shaking, the people running away from the various premises.
—Barbie Latza Nadeau and George Ramsay, CNN, 23 Jan. 2025
And Howard’s near-perfect night let the Buckeyes run away from Notre Dame in the title game.
—Stewart Mandel, The Athletic, 21 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for runaway
Dictionary Entries Near runaway
Cite this Entry
“Runaway.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/runaway. Accessed 8 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
runaway
1 of 3 noun
run·away
ˈrən-ə-ˌwā
1
: a person who runs away : fugitive
2
: the act of running away out of control
also
: something (as a horse) that is running out of control
runaway
2 of 3 adjective1
: running away : fugitive
2
: being out of control
run away
3 of 3 verbˌrən-ə-ˈwā
1
: to leave in a hurry especially to escape from danger or confinement
2
: to leave home
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