Meaning & use
running away
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Meanings
phrase
The act of leaving a place or person suddenly, especially to escape danger, control, or a difficult situation.
Grammar: Used as a noun phrase. It often follows verbs like 'be', 'mean', or 'think about'.
Patterns
- running away from something
- running away to somewhere
- running away with someone
Running away from your problems never solves them.
The dog's running away scared the whole family.
She was tired of running away and decided to face the truth.
phrase
The act of leaving home, especially as a child or teenager, without permission.
Grammar: Often used in the context of young people leaving home. It can be a noun phrase or part of a verb phrase.
Patterns
- running away from home
- running away from school
Running away from home is dangerous for young people.
He admitted that running away was a mistake.
The charity helps teenagers who are thinking about running away.
Common combinations
- running away from
- She kept running away from her responsibilities.
- running away together
- The young couple talked about running away together.
- running away with
- He was accused of running away with the company's money.
- running away to
- They dreamed of running away to a tropical island.
Synonyms and how they differ
- escaping
- Focuses on getting free from a place or situation, often more dramatic than running away.
- fleeing
- More formal and suggests running from immediate danger, like a war zone.
- bolting
- Informal and suggests a sudden, quick movement, often of animals or people.
Opposites
Word family
- run away phrasal verb
- The base form; to leave suddenly.
- runaway noun
- A person, especially a child, who has left home without permission.
- runaway adjective
- Out of control, as in a runaway train.
Commonly confused: running away or runaway?
running away vs runaway
As one word, it is a noun or adjective; as two words, it is the -ing form of the phrasal verb.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'running away' correctly?
Choose one answer.
The phrasal verb 'run away' is followed by 'from' to show what you are escaping. 'Run away of' is not correct, and 'to' would mean you are running toward something, not escaping.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “running away”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.