run its course

Idioms  

1. Proceed to its logical or natural conclusion, as in The doctor said the cold would probably run its course within a week. This idiom employs course in the sense of “an onward movement in a particular path.” [Second half of 1500s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

run its course

However, Hong Leong notes recent hospital listings have largely run its course and investors are now focusing on company fundamentals, downgrading its rating on the sector to neutral from overweight.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026

What they actually own is nothing more than a heavy bet on Big Tech — and right now, strategists at BofA Global Research think that bet has run its course.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 8, 2026

Were there ever moments when you thought the club had run its course?

From Los Angeles Times ● May 20, 2026

So much for being “woke,” I guess, but there’s a label that has really run its course.

From Salon ● May 8, 2026

The fever simply had to run its course.

From "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" by Elizabeth George Speare

Related Words

• break
• cease
• close
• drop
• end
• halt
• hold
• kill
• pause
• put an end to
• quit
• stall
• stand
• stay