run against

1. Also, run up against or run into . Encounter something, especially a difficulty, unexpectedly. For example, We didn't know we'd run up against so much opposition , or He ran into trouble with his taxes . [Late 1300s]

2. Work against, as in Public sentiment ran against her . [Late 1300s]

3. Oppose for elective office, as in Susan decided to run against a very popular incumbent . This usage is a figurative application of running in a footrace. [First half of 1800s]

Example Sentences

Arteta's side are the only team left with a 100% record in the Champions League this season, after ending a five-game winless run against the German champions which stretched back to 2015.

Read more on BBC

The Labour Party rules for any leadership challenge state that candidates must be an MP and also secure the backing of at least 80 MPs to run against the incumbent.

Read more on BBC

The game-changing restrictions, pushed by MLB and agreed to by sportsbook operators, seem to run against the rapidly expanding sports-betting industry — which has grown from $308 million wagered when it was first legalized in June 2018, to over $6 billion in August 2025.

Read more on MarketWatch

On Monday he warned he’d be “endorsing against” any state legislative Republicans who stood in the way, and further ramped up the pressure on Bray, saying that “lines are forming” to run against him in the primaries.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Democrats will run against Republicans next year on the cost of healthcare and enhanced pandemic-era subsidies for ObamaCare.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal