Meaning & use
ran off the road
Last updated
“ran off the road” is a form of “run off the road”.
Meanings
phraseintransitive
Left the road while driving, usually accidentally.
Grammar: No object; the subject is the vehicle or driver. Often followed by a reason: ran off the road in the rain.
Patterns
- run off the road
- ran off the road at a bend
The car ran off the road and hit a tree.
He ran off the road trying to avoid a dog.
The bus ran off the road during the storm.
phrasetransitive
Forced someone or something off the road, especially another vehicle.
Grammar: Takes an object: run someone off the road. The object is the person or vehicle forced off.
Patterns
- run someone off the road
- run something off the road
The speeding truck ran the cyclist off the road.
They tried to run the police car off the road.
He was run off the road by a careless driver.
Word forms
| base form | run off the road |
|---|---|
| third person singular | runs off the road |
| present participle | running off the road |
| past tense | ran off the road |
| past participle | run off the road |
Common combinations
- run off the road
- The driver ran off the road on the sharp curve.
- run someone off the road
- The aggressive driver ran me off the road.
- almost ran off the road
- She almost ran off the road when she sneezed.
- ran off the road and crashed
- The van ran off the road and crashed into a fence.
Synonyms and how they differ
- veered off
- Focuses on a sudden change of direction; less specific about leaving the road completely.
- went off
- More general; does not necessarily imply an accident or force.
Opposites
Word family
- run off phrasal verb
- To leave quickly or flow away; also to force someone to leave.
Commonly confused: ran off the road or run of the road?
ran off the road vs run of the road
Not a standard phrase; 'run off the road' is the correct expression for leaving the road.
Practice
The driver lost control and ______ near the bridge.
Choose one answer.
'Ran off the road' is the correct phrase meaning left the road. 'Ran of the road' is wrong because 'of' is not used. 'Ran off road' is missing 'the'. 'Ran the road off' has the wrong word order and meaning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “ran off the road”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.