hit-and-run

[hit-n-ruhn]

adjective

1. guilty of fleeing the scene of an accident or injury one has caused, especially a vehicular accident, thereby attempting to evade being identified and held responsible.

   a hit-and-run driver.

2. involving or resulting from such action or conduct.

   hit-and-run fatalities.

3. Baseball.,  pertaining to or noting a play in which, to get a head start, a base runner begins to run to the next base as the pitcher delivers the ball to the batter, who must try to hit it in order to protect the runner.

4. marked by taking flight immediately after a quick, concentrated attack.

   a hit-and-run raid.

verb (used without object)

hit-and-ran, hit-and-running 

1. Baseball.,  to attempt or execute a hit-and-run play.

hit-and-run

adjective

1. 1. involved in or denoting a motor-vehicle accident in which the driver leaves the scene without stopping to give assistance, inform the police, etc

   2. ( as noun )

      a hit-and-run

2. (of an attack, raid, etc) relying on surprise allied to a rapid departure from the scene of operations for the desired effect

   hit-and-run tactics

3. baseball denoting a play in which a base runner begins to run as the pitcher throws the ball to the batter

Other Word Forms

• hit-and-runner noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of hit-and-run¹

An Americanism dating back to 1895–1900

Example Sentences

A hit-and-run driver who struck and seriously hurt a road worker after a 130mph police chase tried to blame his ex-partner in a bungled cover-up before being caught out by a Ring doorbell.

Read more on BBC

"This kind of visitor tends to have little real interest in the heritage, culture or natural environment they are exploiting for clicks. They are the ultimate hit-and-run tourist," Wareing said.

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A man in his 50s has died following a report of a one vehicle hit-and-run road traffic collision in County Antrim.

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A suspect arrested in the fatal hit-and-run killing of a woman in Hollywood in late June had his arraignment pushed back months Tuesday morning and is free on bail.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Police in India have arrested a man in connection with the death of Fauja Singh, the world's oldest marathon runner, in a hit-and-run case.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• arrest 
• assault 
• break in 
• capture 
• incursion 
• invasion 
• onslaught 
• sortie 
• surprise attack www.thesaurus.com
• sweep