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

From BBC

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.

From 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.

From BBC

But Bowl concerts tend to be hit-and-run events.

From Los Angeles Times

It was a grind of a game, with the Dodgers scoring their only runs on a bases-loaded walk following a hit-and-run play and a sacrifice fly that briefly gave them a 2-1 lead.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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