runaway

American  

[ruhn-uh-wey] / ˈrʌn əˌweɪ /

noun

1. a person who runs away; fugitive; deserter.

2. a horse or team that has broken away from control.

3. the act of running away.

4. a decisive or easy victory.

5. a young person, especially a teenager, who has run away from home.

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adjective

1. having run away; escaped; fugitive.

2. (of a horse or other animal) having escaped from the control of the rider or driver.

3. pertaining to or accomplished by running away or eloping.

   a runaway marriage.

4. easily won, as a contest.

   a runaway victory at the polls.

   Synonyms:

   complete, absolute

5. unchecked; rampant.

   runaway prices.

6. Informal. deserting or revolting against one's group, duties, expected conduct, or the like, especially to establish or join a rival group, change one's life drastically, etc..

   The runaway delegates nominated their own candidate.

Etymology

Origin of runaway

First recorded in 1505–15; noun, adj. use of verb phrase run away

Example Sentences

Even when courts determine no child abuse has occurred, children are being removed from homes through networks of runaway shelters and nonprofits.

From The Wall Street Journal

Meanwhile, a runaway slave shows up out back, pursued by hounds, having heard that the Van Lew house is the place to run for help.

From Los Angeles Times

I had to hold onto his collar and squeeze him up tight to keep him from having a runaway.

From Literature

Love becomes more mournful on “Harbor Lights,” the first of two ballads on the LP: “One way ticket and a runaway heart / A sailor’s dream came true the night I dreamed you.”

From The Wall Street Journal

On the one hand, higher tariffs allow the government to bring in more revenue to shrink the runaway government debt, and help re-energize sectors of the U.S. economy.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• rampant
• unbridled
• unchecked
• uncontrolled
• unrestrained