on the run

1. 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]

2. 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

That night in 2022, he played three dozen tunes over two and a half hours; on Friday he did a dozen fewer — no “Maybe I’m Amazed,” no “Band on the Run” — in about an hour and 45 minutes.

From Los Angeles Times

In the backfield, quarterback Jayden Maiava faked a handoff, forcing another linebacker to bite on the run, while Lyons sprinted into the open space the play design had created.

From Los Angeles Times

The two that instantly jump to mind are his pair of political thrillers: “Three Days of the Condor,” in which he plays a CIA agent on the run from his own co-workers, and “All the President’s Men,” in which he doggedly uncovers the Watergate scandal.

From Los Angeles Times

Playing outlaws on the run, cornered men whose time had passed, bickering and bantering like an old married couple who can’t imagine a life without each other, they’re perfect together.

From Los Angeles Times

A couple have been jailed for 14 years for the gross negligence manslaughter of their newborn daughter when they went on the run with her to avoid dealing with social services.

From BBC