running board

noun

: a footboard especially at the side of an automobile

Illustration of running board

Illustration of running board
  • R running board

Examples of running board 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 side running boards do not retract and can be as much of a hindrance as beneficial. — James Raia, The Mercury News, 7 July 2024 The gunman then climbed onto the truck’s driver’s side running board stating that he was lost and needed help getting somewhere. — Tresa Baldas, Detroit Free Press, 29 Dec. 2024 No running boards or easily-accessible grab handles for getting in and out, for example, and fuel economy is pretty abysmal. — New Atlas, 18 Oct. 2025 In Memphis, he was photographed with one foot on the running board of a car, jabbing a gun at the camera and aping a pose made famous by Bonnie Parker. — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 30 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for running board

Word History

First Known Use

1858, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of running board was in 1858

Rhymes for running board

See All Rhymes for running board

Browse Nearby Words

running block
running board
running bond
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Running board.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/running%20board. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

running board

noun
: a narrow step at the side of an automobile
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All