Meaning & use
run aground
Last updated
Meanings
phraseintransitive
If a boat runs aground, it hits the bottom in shallow water and cannot move.
Grammar: The subject is the boat or ship: the vessel ran aground near the rocks.
Patterns
- something runs aground
- something runs aground on something
- something runs aground near/in a place
The ferry ran aground just outside the harbor.
Our little boat ran aground on a sandbank at low tide.
Several ships have run aground in this channel over the years.
phraseintransitivefigurative
If a plan or process runs aground, it fails or stops making progress.
Grammar: Figurative use; the subject is a plan, talks, a project and similar nouns.
Patterns
- something runs aground
- talks run aground on something
The peace talks ran aground over the question of borders.
His career ran aground after the scandal.
The project ran aground when the funding was cut.
Word forms
| past tense | ran aground |
|---|---|
| past participle | run aground |
| -ing form | running aground |
Common combinations
- run aground on a sandbank
- The tanker ran aground on a sandbank near the mouth of the river.
- run aground in shallow water
- Boats often run aground in shallow water if the captain misjudges the depth.
- a ship runs aground
- The ship ran aground during the storm and had to be towed away.
- talks run aground
- The trade talks ran aground after both sides refused to compromise.
- run aground near the coast
- The fishing boat ran aground near the coast in thick fog.
Synonyms and how they differ
- be stranded
- Focuses on being stuck and unable to leave, which can also happen on land; 'run aground' specifically means hitting the bottom in water.
- run ashore
- Means moving onto the shore, often deliberately; 'run aground' usually suggests an accident.
- founder
- Means a ship fills with water and sinks; running aground does not necessarily mean sinking.
Opposites
Word family
- aground adverb
- On or onto the bottom in shallow water: the boat went aground.
Commonly confused: run aground or ground?
run aground vs ground
'Ground' as a verb can mean to stop a plane or a child from going out; 'run aground' is only about boats hitting the bottom.
Practice
The cargo ship ______ aground on a reef last night.
Choose one answer.
'Last night' shows a finished past event, so the past tense 'ran' is needed. 'Run' is the base form or past participle, 'running' needs an auxiliary like 'was', and 'runs' is present tense.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “run aground”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.