on the run
Idioms-
In rapid retreat; also, attempting to escape from pursuers. For example, The guerrillas were on the run after the ambush , or The burglars were on the run from the police . [Early 1800s]
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Hurrying from place to place, as in The company officers were always on the run from New York to Los Angeles and back . [Late 1800s]
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.
Following Brown's death, Shepherd went on the run in Georgia.
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026
He went on the run after Kelly's death, and was found dead in a caravan park six months later.
From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026
Olejniczak Marodi was captured at a Mexicali hotel after more than a month on the run, according to Baja authorities.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
Jibril’s wife is on the run, he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
I quit the table on the run and headed for my doghouse.
From "Where the Red Fern Grows" by Wilson Rawls
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
