verb
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to run faster, farther, or better than
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to escape from by or as if by running
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to go beyond; exceed
Etymology
Origin of outrun
Explanation
To outrun someone is to move faster than they do. Your lazy cat might enjoy hunting for mice, although the mice always seem to outrun him in the end. You can outrun an opponent in a race, and you can also watch a video game character outrun a pursuing zombie — outrun can also mean "escape from." Your dog might enjoy chasing cars, never managing to outrun them. More figuratively, you can say that your hopes always outrun the reality of a situation. In other words, what you dream of exceeds what actually happens.
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.
Most of the stories are matter-of-fact, and Bertei avoids the absolute worst consequences for a while before she can’t outrun it any more.
From Salon • Apr. 14, 2026
NASA’s powerful Launch Abort System, designed to outrun an exploding rocket, is the result of years of work from scientists and engineers across the country, including in Southern California’s Mojave Desert.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026
"I think she thought she would outrun me," says Hutchcroft.
From BBC • Mar. 14, 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
Her only chance is to outrun what’s coming.
From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
