rundown 1 of 3

noun

ˈrən-ˌdau̇n How to pronounce rundown (audio)
Definition of rundownnext
as in summary
a short statement of the main points a rundown of the suspect's lengthy police record

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run-down

2 of 3

adjective

ˈrən-ˈdau̇n How to pronounce run-down (audio)
1
as in dilapidated
showing signs of advanced wear and tear and neglect a run-down old house that really should be torn down

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sick
temporarily suffering from a disorder of the body I'm afraid I'll be staying home today as I'm feeling run-down

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run down

3 of 3

verb

1
as in to find
to come upon after searching, study, or effort finally ran down the answer after hours of research

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2
as in to dismiss
to express scornfully one's low opinion of constantly running down the city's cultural life won't do anything to improve it

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of rundown
Noun
Besides all the visual stimulation, those warehouses and defunct factories also made for excellent studio spaces, and while there wasn’t much housing other than the NYCHA projects, apartments tended to be cheap and spacious, if a bit rundown. — Kim Velsey, Curbed, 9 Oct. 2026 Welcome to the first installment of Catching Strays, the New York Daily News’ daily rundown on all things Knicks. — Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 8 Oct. 2026
Adjective
Hundreds of schools have shut their doors in recent days, with students airing grievances over run-down buildings, overcrowded classrooms, understaffing and inequalities in the education system. — Ellen Francis, Washington Post, 6 Oct. 2026 The place was messy and run-down, and there were huge smoke stains on the ceiling. — Josephine Reisman, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2026
Verb
The apartment was run down with bad carpeting and layer upon layer of white paint on the original dark woodwork. — Wendy Goodman, Curbed, 17 Oct. 2026 Blair had tears running down her face, while her team worked to explain what happened. — Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for rundown
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rundown
  1. summary
  2. dilapidated
  3. sick
  4. find
  5. dismiss
  6. neglected
  7. poorly
  8. learn
Noun
  • Chatbots can also explain complex topics in new ways and condense an overwhelming amount of information into a simple summary.
    — Robin Brewer, The Conversation, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Insiders cited broad industry-wide online traffic problems plaguing numerous online publishers, including Meta’s decision to deprioritize links to news articles and the rise of chatbots and AI summaries, which have decimated search traffic.
    — Max Tani, semafor.com, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of summary
Adjective
  • Protests by high school students angry about dilapidated, understaffed schools have roiled France since mid-September.
    — JOHN LEICESTER, Arkansas Online, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The protests have been building since late September, sparked by complaints of staff shortages and dilapidated schools.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of dilapidated
Adjective
  • Grape expectations In 2020, macaques in an enclosure at the sanctuary started getting sick with an HIV-like virus called SRV.
    — Jonathan Lambert, NPR, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Or calling in sick from work even when the doctor cleared you to return in the new year.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of sick
Verb
  • Neither team could find a flow from three-point range in the first half as the teams combined to shoot five for 29 from deep — three of 16 by Golden State and two for 13 by Atlanta.
    — Janie McCauley, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Of the first 15 plays for the Dallas offense, 10 were on the ground, and the Cowboys found success.
    — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of find
Verb
  • Ben-Gvir dismisses concerns that such policies would cement Israel’s status as a pariah state.
    — Eric Cortellessa, Time, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Lower courts had dismissed the case because Asian American students were not underrepresented at the magnet schools compared with the pool of students that applied.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of dismiss
Adjective
  • Investors and analysts are increasingly looking to other parts of the market, both to find neglected sources of value and to start assuming a defensive posture against a possible downturn.
    — Tobias Burns, CNBC, 16 July 2026
  • Changing their environment is more reliable and more neglected.
    — Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026
Definition of neglected
Adjective
  • For however poorly things are going — and the bad tone set by the starters has leaked into some defensive lapses and some pressing at the plate — the Padres got themselves into a really favorable position before this.
    — Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Sep. 2025
  • This involves having a poorly or non-functioning colon and is not usually reversible.
    — Dr. John De Jong, Boston Herald, 17 Aug. 2025
Definition of poorly
Verb
  • The Sun enters your 3rd House, beginning a month that favors learning, writing, conversations, local activity, and following questions farther than usual.
    — Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The foundation cites decades of research and learning showing that grantees with flexible, long-term funding were better prepared for the unexpected.
    — Sydney Lake, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of learn

Browse Nearby Words

rundlets
rundown
run-down
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Cite this Entry

“Rundown.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rundown. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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