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]
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.

Nine-month-old Samba has been on the run for more than a week after escaping from Marwell Zoo near Winchester, a day after arriving from Suffolk.

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026

He was found with an Irish passport in the name of Danny Webb and had worked as an IT consultant during his two decades on the run.

From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026

Marset had been on the run since July 2023, when fled his home in Santa Cruz, on the eve of a massive police operation to capture him.

From Barron's • Mar. 13, 2026

It’s unclear if any of the current leaders would possess the gravitas of Oseguera, who wielded unquestioned authority even as his health deteriorated and he was forced to live on the run.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 27, 2026

Harry hoped she never found out that he’d pretended to be Neville while on the run from the Ministry of Magic.

From "Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban" by J.K. Rowling

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023