Phrasal Verbs with RUN

Phrasal Verbs with RUN

Run is a verb that forms many collocations, idiomatic expressions and phrasal verbs, meaning that it is widely used in English. If I wanted to write all about these different expressions, it would be a very long article so I decided to write only about phrasal verbs with “run” and save the other expressions for some future posts.

Here is a list of 19 phrasal verbs with RUN. We are going to look at their meanings as well see them in lots of example sentences.

• Run across
• Run after
• Run along
• Run around
• Run at
• Run away
• Run back
• Run down
• Run into
• Run off
• Run on
• Run out
• Run out on
• Run over
• Run over
• Run to
• Run up
• Run up against
• Run with

Run across

Meaning: to meet someone or find something by chance.

• I was walking down the street when I ran across Michael. I didn’t expect to see him there.
• While I was cleaning the basement I ran across my old rollers.

Run after

Meaning: to chase somebody; to show someone you’re sexually attracted to them.

• Sara ran after her dog because the train was coming.
• You must admit he’d always run after other women. That’s why he and Paula got divorced.

Run along

Meaning: a way of telling someone to go away, or that you have to go.

• Run along! I’ve got a lot of work to do!
• I think I’d better be running along. My wife’s expecting me for dinner.

Run around

Meaning: to be very busy.

• I’m so tired. I’ve been running around all morning delivering mail.
• Jack was running around the park trying to find his dog.

Run at

Meaning: to attack somebody.

• The burglar ran at her with a knife. 
• All of a sudden, the gorilla they’ve been watching ran at her and her blood got cold.

Run away

Meaning: to escape.

• Their son ran away from home when he was 16. They found him 10 years later.
• Pauline was so embarrassed that all she wanted was to run away.

Run back

Meaning; to give someone a lift; to rewind a recording.

• I’m passing by your home so I can run you back if you want.
• Would you please run the movie back to the beginning? I missed it so I don’t understand what’s going on.

Run down

Meaning: to injure or kill a person or an animal with a vehicle; criticize someone in a rude manner.

• On their way, they ran down a rabbit.
• He always ran his girlfriend down in public. No wonder she left him.

Run into

Meaning: to meet someone accidentally; to hit someone or something with a vehicle.

• Peter told me that he ran into his friend in the city so he’ll get home late.
• It was foggy this morning so Brian ran into a fence.

Run off

Meaning: to leave someone in a dishonest way; to print a few copies of something quickly.

• Serena’s dad ran off when she was little and left her mother with three children.
• Just in case,  run off a few more copies before the meeting.

Run on

Meaning: to continue or last longer than you expect.

• Make sure the meeting finishes on time because  I don’t want it to run on.
• These boots run on for more than three years, longer than I expected.

Run out

Meaning: to spend all your supplies.

• We ran out of coffee. Don’t forget to buy some.
• Pete and Mary got back home from Spain when they ran out of money.

Run out on

Meaning: to abandon someone you live with, especially when they need you.

• Can you believe that Jason ran out on his wife and two children?
• Many years had passed before she stopped wondering why Greg ran out on her so suddenly and without warning.

Run over

Meaning: to be killed by a vehicle; to continue for longer than planned.

• A bus ran over her. It was such a tragedy.
• The project we’ve been working on has run over the deadline and budget.

Run through

Meaning: to read something quickly; to practice performance.

• Simon ran through the name list to check out no one was missing.
• They didn’t go home until they ran through the piece entirely.

Run to

Meaning: to ask someone for help or protection; to reach a certain number or amount.

• Whenever he doesn’t know how to do his Math homework, he runs to his elder sister.
• The cost of repair can run to $1000 so you’d better consider buying a new appliance.

Run up

Meaning: to sew a piece of clothing quickly; to raise a flag on a flagpole.

• My aunt ran me up a jacket in an hour. Can you believe it?
• Some players were crying while they were running their national flag up.

Run up against

Meaning: to experience problems you have to deal with. 

• Many people are running up against the Coronavirus nowadays.
• The Tailors ran up against some unexpected problems when they tried to build a swimming pool in their yard.

Run with

Meaning; to proceed; to accept

• This company usually does a lot of testing before they run with the product in the market.
• You have to run with the fact that you are no longer young.

In conclusion

To sum up, we’ve looked at 19 phrasal verbs with RUN today. I wish you would incorporate at least half of them into your English. 😃

• Run across
• Run after
• Run along
• Run around
• Run at
• Run away
• Run back
• Run down
• Run into
• Run off
• Run on
• Run out
• Run out on
• Run over
• Run over
• Run to
• Run up
• Run up against
• Run with

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