outrun

American

[out-ruhn] / ˌaʊtˈrʌn /

verb (used with object)

outran, outrun, outrunning

to run faster or farther than.
to escape by or as if by running.

They managed to outrun the police.
to exceed; excel; surpass.

outrun British

/ ˌaʊtˈrʌn /

verb

to run faster, farther, or better than
to escape from by or as if by running
to go beyond; exceed

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of outrun

First recorded in 1520–30; out + run

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.

Injuries and disciplinary issues continue to be a problem, while Rosenior has blamed the club's workload for a statistic that shows Chelsea have been outrun by every team this campaign.

From BBC • Mar. 23, 2026

Once again on Saturday, Chelsea were outrun, error‑prone and tactically open, as Everton played through them for a comfortable win at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

From BBC • Mar. 21, 2026

The film's final sequence sees Bob desperately searching for his daughter as she tries to outrun Lockjaw in the desert.

From Barron's • Mar. 8, 2026

Trying to outrun any new pronouncements from the White House will be too complicated, Woldenberg said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 21, 2026

Somehow his younger brother, Vincenzo, had managed to outrun the deadly wave and survive.

From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler

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