run out

verb

ran out; run out; running out; runs out
Synonyms of run outnext

intransitive verb

1
a
: to come to an end : expire
time ran out
b
: to become exhausted or used up
the gasoline ran out
2
: to jut out

transitive verb

1
a
: to finish out (a course, a series, a contest, etc.) : complete
b
of a baseball batter : to run hard to first base after hitting (a batted ball)
ran out the grounder
2
a
: to fill out (a typeset line) with quads, leaders, or ornaments
b
: to set (a line of text, such as the first line of a paragraph) with a hanging indention
3
: to exhaust (oneself) in running
4
: to cause to leave by force or coercion : expel

Examples of run out in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Eagles didn't score again and are running out of time to salvage their season. — CBS News, 27 Oct. 2026 Power comes from an integrated 600-mAh battery that handles up to 900 screws (or 90 minutes of continuous work time) before running out of juice. — New Atlas, 27 Oct. 2026 The health emergency caused demand for fuel to crash to the point that the world ran out of room to store oil, a phenomenon that briefly drove crude oil futures below zero for the first time ever. — Matt Egan, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2026 That gap is where attribution is running out of road and where prediction is starting to take over. — Ivan Guzenko, Forbes.com, 26 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for run out

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of run out was in the 14th century

Cite this Entry

“Run out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/run%20out. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

Kids Definition

run out

verb
1
: to come to an end : expire
time ran out before we could tie the game
2
: to become exhausted or used up
our supplies were running out

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