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⏳ To use up 🏃 To leave fast 📄 To expire 💧 To flow out
to run out

to run out

361 2.0
Leave a place suddenly, often to avoid someone or something
  • phrasal verb
  • /rʌn aʊt/
: salir corriendo
  • As we approach the village, children filled with excitement run out to us.
  • run out the door

She grabs this kid and screams and runs out another door.

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Examples

  • Yeah, that was the guy that ran out of the restaurant.

    Hit Man (2024)

  • -Then I ran out after him.

    Anatomy of a Murder (1959)

  • The car pulled up and I ran out to get inside.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • I wanted to thank you properly for last night, but you ran out so fast.

    80 for Brady (2023)

  • Matthew, the boy across the street, ran out of his house and climbed onto the bus.

    Fiction book (1997)

  • When she saw me making the pigsty, she ran out of the house.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • Nope, I saw him run out and he just sprinted down here.

  • He ran out of the house in his pajamas, barefoot, and he nearly got hit by a cab!

    Ezra (2024)

  • Petrovna drops her bundle, takes hold of a large tin teapot, and quickly runs out of the car.

    Fiction book (1997)

  • When he heard the loud noise, he quickly ran out of the building to escape.

Synonyms

to get out of here
vsto run out
  • Informal
∞ 3.0

Leave a place quickly or suddenly

is often used when the departure aims to avoid someone rather than neutral exit
to run away
vsto run out
907 1.6

To leave secretly and quickly to get away from danger or control

is about sudden hurried leaving often to avoid someone rather than secret escape
to flee
vsto run out
583 2.4

To run away from a place because it is dangerous

is used when departure is sudden and may aim to avoid people as well
to run off
vsto run out
  • Informal
353 3.7

To leave a place or person suddenly, often without saying goodbye

is focused on hurried leaving usually aimed at avoiding someone or something
to bolt
vsto run out
78 2.3

To run away suddenly to escape danger

is generally about sudden departure that aims to avoid someone or something
to skip
vsto run out
  • Informal
48 3.7

To leave a place quickly and secretly to avoid trouble

is often used when the action aims to avoid someone rather than only attention
to make a run for it
vsto run out
  • Informal
35 5.3

To try to escape quickly, often by running

is used for abrupt avoidance across contexts rather than only risky cases
to rush off
vsto run out
24 3.8

Leave suddenly because you are in a hurry

is often used when the leaving additionally aims to avoid someone or something
to skedaddle
vsto run out
  • Informal
20 9.3

To run away quickly because you are afraid

is about hurried leaving often meant to avoid someone rather than just panic
to run out of town
vsto run out
19 6.6

Leave a place quickly because people are angry or you are in trouble

is commonly used for sudden avoidance of people rather than public disgrace focus
to hightail
vsto run out
  • Informal
18 8.3

To leave a place very quickly to escape danger or trouble

is about sudden leaving often to avoid someone rather than neutral haste
to get out of Dodge
vsto run out
  • Informal
18 9.2

Leave a place quickly to avoid trouble or danger

is used for sudden departure often to avoid someone rather than only trouble
to hightail it
vsto run out
  • Informal
17 8.4

To leave a place quickly to avoid trouble or danger

is normally used for hurried avoidance rather than calm departure
to duck out
vsto run out
  • Informal
17 7.2

To leave a place quickly and quietly to avoid something you should do

is about sudden departure often intended to avoid someone rather than only duty
to hop out
vsto run out
  • Informal
16 2.8

To get out of a vehicle or place quickly with a small jump

is usually used for hurried escape aimed at avoiding someone rather than brief exit
to run for the hills
vsto run out
  • Informal
10 5.6

To leave a place quickly to escape danger or trouble

is more general for hurried leaving often to avoid someone or something
to bolt out
vsto run out
  • Informal
7 4.9

Leave a place suddenly and quickly because you feel scared

is more focused on avoidance or evasion than only surprise exits
to bug-out
vsto run out
  • Slang
7 8.2

To leave a place quickly to escape danger

is used for sudden departure often to avoid someone rather than only emergencies
to vamoose
vsto run out
  • Informal
7 8.8

To leave quickly to avoid trouble or questions

is often used when the leaving aims to avoid someone or something
to bolt from
vsto run out
  • Informal
7 5.8

To leave a place suddenly and unexpectedly

is often used when the leaving aims to avoid someone or something
to make tracks
vsto run out
  • Informal
6 7.2

Leave quickly to go somewhere or to avoid trouble

is used when the action aims to avoid someone rather than plain hurry
to evac
vsto run out
  • Jargon
6 8.1

To leave a place quickly to be safe

is commonly used when leaving aims to avoid someone rather than formal evacuation
to pop off
vsto run out
  • UK
6 7.9

To leave a place quickly, often without saying goodbye

is often used when the leaving aims to avoid someone rather than only being sudden
to rush away
vsto run out
4 2.5

Leave a place quickly because you are in a hurry

is often used when the leaving is motivated by avoiding someone or something
to blow town
vsto run out
  • Informal
4 9.8

To leave a place quickly to avoid trouble

is more common for sudden leaving often aimed at avoiding people rather than towns
to fly the coop
vsto run out
  • Informal
4 7.9

To leave a place suddenly without permission

is used for sudden departure often to avoid people rather than only leaving place
to run a mile
vsto run out
  • Informal
2 7.1

Move away quickly to avoid something you are afraid of

is often about sudden hurried leaving rather than prolonged avoidance
to blow this popsicle stand
vsto run out
  • Informal
2 9.9

To leave a place quickly because you do not want to be there

is used for sudden departure often to avoid someone rather than mere annoyance
to bolt down
vsto run out
  • Informal
1 6.1

To run away quickly, usually because you are afraid

is used for sudden departure often to avoid someone or something
to skidoo
vsto run out
  • Archaic
1 9.1

To leave quickly to avoid trouble or attention

is used for sudden departure often to avoid someone rather than only attention
to make a bolt
vsto run out
1 6.8

To run away quickly, usually because you are afraid

is commonly done to avoid someone or something rather than mere surprise
to absquatulate
vsto run out
  • Archaic
1 9.9

To leave a place quickly and secretly, often taking things or someone

is used for quick escape mostly to avoid someone rather than theft emphasis
to do the dash
vsto run out
  • UK
1 9.3

To run away quickly to avoid being caught

is used for sudden leaving often aimed at avoiding someone or something
to beetle off
vsto run out
  • UK
1 9.8

To leave quickly and quietly without being noticed

is often used when the leaving aims to avoid someone rather than only secrecy
to take to one's heels
vsto run out
  • Informal
6.1

Run away quickly to escape danger or trouble

is about sudden hurried leaving often to avoid someone rather than only danger
to take your hook
vsto run out
  • Archaic
9.9

Leave a place quickly because you are not welcome

is often used when the departure aims to avoid someone rather than neutral exit
to go offski
vsto run out
  • Slang
9.9

To leave a place suddenly, usually to go somewhere else

is often used for leaving that aims to avoid someone rather than casual departure

Antonyms

to stay
∞ 1.0

To remain in one place and not leave

to linger
215 3.7

To stay in a place longer than expected because you do not want to leave

How Fast

to flee
583 2.4
to run out
361 2.0
to walk out
  • Informal
805 3.4
to leave
∞ 1.0
to step out
232 2.3

Surface Forms

run out infinitive
running out present participle
runs out third person singular
ran out past
ran out past participle

Morphology

run + out

The meaning 'to leave a place suddenly' is directly derivable from 'run' (move quickly on foot) plus 'out' (to the outside), following a common English motion verb + particle pattern. This compositional structure is cross-linguistically familiar and therefore a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer this sense (noting that other idiomatic senses of 'run out' exist, but they do not affect this transparent motion-reading).

Etymology

Run out comes from the very physical image of run + out: a person quickly running out of a room to escape or hurry away. So to run out often means 'to leave suddenly'.