Run away meaning
Run away means to leave a person or place suddenly, often secretly, to escape. It can also mean to try not to deal with a difficult problem or feeling.
run away
run away · ran · run · running
The thief ran away when he saw the police.
Run away meanings and examples
2 meanings, each with its own CEFR level. A level marked ~ is our estimate: Oxford and Cambridge give none for that meaning.
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1
Leave a person or place suddenly, often secretly, to escape
run away
- The thief ran away when he saw the police.
- She ran away from home when she was fifteen.
- Our dog runs away every time it hears thunder.
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2
Try not to deal with a difficult problem or feeling
run away
- You can’t run away from your problems for ever.
- Don’t run away from the truth. Talk to her.
- He always runs away when things get serious.
Café orders
New friends
At the airport
Slova
Use run away in real conversations
- Learn new words with picture cards
- Talk with Felix, an AI tutor, about the things you love
- Short lessons at your level, a few minutes a day
Is run away separable?
Run away has no object. Add from for the person, place or problem: run away from home, run away from the dog.
The noun and adjective is runaway, one word: a teenage runaway, a runaway train. Run away with someone means leave home to be with a partner.
Verb tenses for run away
| Present | I run away · she runs away |
|---|---|
| Past | ran away |
| Present perfect | have run away |
| -ing form | running away |
Common mistakes with run away
What learners often say, and what to say instead.
Wrong: The boy ran away of his parents.
Right: The boy ran away from his parents.
Use from, not of, for what you escape.
Wrong: She runned away last year.
Right: She ran away last year.
The past of run is ran.
Wrong: The cat ran away the house.
Right: The cat ran away from the house.
Run away takes no direct object. Add from.
Synonyms and opposites of run away
Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.
Similar
- escapeget free from a dangerous place or a prison
- run offleave suddenly, often with something or someone
- get awayescape, or go on holiday for a short time
Opposite
- facedeal with a problem directly: face your fears
- stay putnot move from where you are
Run away quiz
Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
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1The little boy got scared and ___ from the big dog.
Run away means leave quickly to escape.
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2Choose the right sentence.
Run away needs from before the place.
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3“Stop running away from the problem.” What does the speaker want?
Here run away means avoid dealing with something.
More phrasal verbs with run
All phrasal verbs with run, by level, with an exercise
8 phrasal verbs start with run. Test yourself on all of them in a few minutes.
- run out ofB1use all of something so that you have none left
- run outB1use all of something so there is none left
- run intoB2meet someone you know when you did not expect to
- run overC1hit someone or something with a vehicle and drive over them
- run downB2lose power slowly, or make something lose power
- run throughB2explain, read or check something quickly from start to end
- run offB2leave a place or person suddenly, often without saying why
Run away FAQ
Questions people ask about run away.
What is a runaway?
A runaway is a person, often young, who has left home without telling anyone. As an adjective, runaway means out of control: a runaway horse.
Run away vs run off: what is the difference?
They are close. Run off is more informal and often has with: He ran off with my phone. Run away is used more for escaping or leaving home.
What does run away with someone mean?
It means leave your home or family secretly to live with a partner. In old stories, lovers run away together.
Use run away in real conversations
In Slova you learn new words with picture cards, then use them when you talk about the things you love. A few minutes a day, at your level.