1
: the act of running up something
2
: a usually sudden increase in volume or price
3
: a period immediately preceding an action or event
ran up; run up; running up; runs up
: to grow rapidly : shoot up
1
: bid up
2
: to stitch together quickly
3
: to erect hastily
4
: to achieve by accumulating
ran up a big lead
Examples of run-up in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Matthew Robinson, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
Despite its run-up, some analysts see room for further gains.
—Pia Singh, CNBC, 18 Oct. 2025
Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Oct. 2025
The rest of this is just running up the score.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for run-up
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Noun
Higher than normal water run-up is expected on beaches and low-lying shoreline.
—Matthew Robinson, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
Despite its run-up, some analysts see room for further gains.
—Pia Singh, CNBC, 18 Oct. 2025
Verb
It’s built to resist pesky tangles, power through daily messes with super-strong suction, and run up to 50 minutes on a single charge.
—Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Oct. 2025
The rest of this is just running up the score.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for run-up
Cite this Entry
“Run-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/run-up. Accessed 1 Nov. 2025.
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