Runyon

American

[ruhn-yuhn] / ˈrʌn yən /

noun

(Alfred) Damon 1884–1946, U.S. journalist and short-story writer.

Runyon British

/ ˈrʌnjən /

noun

( Alfred ) Damon . 1884–1946, US short-story writer, best known for his humorous tales about racy Broadway characters. His story collections include Guys and Dolls (1932), which became the basis of a musical (1950)

"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

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.

Runyon died Friday, according to a Sunday statement reportedly posted to her social media account, which has since gone private.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 9, 2026

A Chicago native, Runyon made her television debut as Sally Frame in the long-running soap opera “Another World.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 9, 2026

Runyon also portrayed the grown-up Cindy Brady in “A Very Brady Christmas.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 9, 2026

A group called the Runyon Canyon Guardians is now calling for officials to halt the bathroom project, calling it “fiscally irresponsible” and a public safety impediment.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 25, 2025

Bobby then played one of the most colorful Yugoslavian masters, Dragoljub Janosevic, a heavy drinker, womanizer, and poker player, and more of a Damon Runyon character than a stereotypical chess player.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

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