runaway
Americannoun
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runaways
plural
adjective
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having run away; escaped; fugitive.
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(of a horse or other animal) having escaped from the control of the rider or driver.
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pertaining to or accomplished by running away or eloping.
a runaway marriage.
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easily won, as a contest.
a runaway victory at the polls.
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unchecked; rampant.
runaway prices.
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Informal. deserting or revolting against one's group, duties, expected conduct, or the like, especially to establish or join a rival group, change one's life drastically, etc..
The runaway delegates nominated their own candidate.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of runaway
First recorded in 1505–15; noun, adj. use of verb phrase run away
Explanation
A runaway is a person — often a child or teenager — who leaves home. A runaway is usually unhappy at home, and most runaways have families that are desperate to find them. A kid who grabs some snacks and hides out all night in his neighbor's tree house is one kind of runaway — a more serious runaway is a teenager who hitchhikes to a city and lives on the street or in a shelter. You can also use the word as an adjective to mean "out of control," like a runaway car rolling down a hill with no driver, or a movie that's a runaway success, making more money than anyone thought possible.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Even after the runaway success of its GLP-1 franchise, the company remains laser-focused on its future.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 15, 2026
Scientists have long investigated the possibility of thermal "runaway" instability.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 10, 2026
The town's association with romance dates back to 1754, when changes to marriage laws in England prompted young runaway couples to cross the border into Scotland, where they could marry without needing parental consent.
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026
Abascal's eviction catalysed long-running anger about runaway housing costs.
From Barron's ● Oct. 3, 2026
Vonetta was only too happy to transform her face and her voice into Miss Trotter’s to retell the story of our oldest known ancestor, Augustus the runaway.
From "Gone Crazy in Alabama" by Rita Williams-Garcia
A database by the Texas Runaway Slave Project, which found listings for 2,500 runaways across various Texas newspapers from the 1840s through the 1860s, also documents the frequented journey to Mexico.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 16, 2026
Finch said that since early January, his office has received reports of five runaways from the school.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 4, 2024
The runaways were safely shepherded back to their owner.
From BBC ● Dec. 22, 2023
Police said the boys were runaways from a residential care facility in San Dimas, which is about 46 miles east of Santa Monica.
From Washington Times ● Oct. 8, 2023
He oriented himself with the constellations and the runaways stumbled on, impelled into the night.
From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
