Synonyms

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.

“By land, air or sea, our Armed Forces will find you and deliver justice. You will run out of fuel long before you will outrun us.”

From The Wall Street Journal

If there was a ghost—which common sense told her there wasn’t —a good pair of legs could probably outrun it.

From Literature

It was not the storm I was trying to outrun; it was Mr. Dowuona’s special welcome.

From Literature

They couldn’t outrun it, but perhaps they could hide.

From Literature

In his first final since Wimbledon in 2024, he suffered yet another violent reminder that time—and Alcaraz—were two opponents he could no longer outrun.

From The Wall Street Journal

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