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
Alison Willmore, Vulture, 4 June 2024
Cops initially described her as a runaway and said she was last seen at her home around 8:30 p.m. Sunday.
—Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 14 Feb. 2024
Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2024
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will visit a town founded by runaway slaves that has become a symbol of anti-colonial resistance.
—Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 15 Aug. 2024
CBS News, 18 Aug. 2024
Whether that’s running away from the community, like Bear wanted to and Maximus ended up doing, or staying in the community and staying with each other like Mabel (Geraldine Keams) did and everyone else did.
—Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 16 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for runaway 
Noun
Ryan Gosling, whose comedic talents were criminally undervalued until last year’s runaway hit Barbie, gets to flex them again here, bringing his deadpan, affably dim charm to the role of Colt Seavers, a hot-shot stunt double for megawatt movie star Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson).
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 4 June 2024
Cops initially described her as a runaway and said she was last seen at her home around 8:30 p.m. Sunday.
—Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 14 Feb. 2024
Adjective
The narrators of these books are painfully aware of anthropogenic climate change and runaway capitalism.
—Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2024
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will visit a town founded by runaway slaves that has become a symbol of anti-colonial resistance.
—Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 15 Aug. 2024
Verb
And Kamala Harris has supported our bipartisan border security bill that Donald Trump told Senate Republicans to run away from.
—CBS News, 18 Aug. 2024
Whether that’s running away from the community, like Bear wanted to and Maximus ended up doing, or staying in the community and staying with each other like Mabel (Geraldine Keams) did and everyone else did.
—Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 16 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for runaway
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'runaway.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near runaway
Cite this Entry
“Runaway.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/runaway. Accessed 12 Sep. 2024.
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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