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Meaning & use

running away from someone

phrase·Everyday

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UK/ˌrʌnɪŋ əˈweɪ frəm ˈsʌmwʌn/
US/ˌrʌnɪŋ əˈweɪ frəm ˈsʌmwʌn/

Meanings

  1. phraseintransitive

    The act of leaving a place quickly to escape from a person.

    Grammar: Used as a verb phrase; 'from someone' shows the person you are escaping.

    Patterns

    • running away from someone
    • run away from someone

    She was running away from someone who was chasing her.

    The child was running away from his brother in a game of tag.

    They saw a man running away from someone in the crowd.

  2. phraseintransitivefigurative

    Avoiding dealing with a person or a difficult situation.

    Grammar: Often used figuratively: you can run away from problems, responsibilities, or feelings.

    Patterns

    • running away from someone
    • running away from a problem

    He felt like he was running away from someone he loved.

    You can't keep running away from your responsibilities.

    She accused him of running away from the truth.

Common combinations

running away from home
The teenager was running away from home.
running away from danger
They were running away from danger as fast as they could.
running away from problems
Running away from problems never solves them.
running away from responsibility
He is running away from responsibility by not answering calls.

Synonyms and how they differ

escaping
Escaping often implies getting out of a confined or dangerous situation; running away is more about the physical act of fleeing.
fleeing
Fleeing is more formal and suggests running from immediate danger; running away is more general and can be used for less serious situations.

Opposites

facingconfronting

Word family

run away phrasal verb
To leave a place or person quickly.
runaway noun
A person, especially a child, who has left home without permission.

Commonly confused: running away from someone or running from?

running away from someone vs running from

'Running from' is similar but can also mean physically starting from a place, e.g., 'running from the station'. 'Running away from' emphasizes escape.

Practice

She felt like she was ___ from her problems by moving to another city.

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