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.

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

“Yes, they are! Huge cats that outrun horses?”

From Literature

My pulse outruns the seconds, each beat bringing me closer to capture.

From Literature

“You didn’t check your surroundings for polar bears. You got between a momma bear and her cub. You turned your back on a polar bear and tried to outrun it.”

From Literature

“If she truly wanted to outrun the past, she would first need to return to it.”

From The Wall Street Journal

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