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

to run out

28 1.3
Water or other liquid flows out of a container by accident
  • phrasal verb
  • /rʌn aʊt/
translation icon : salir de
  • The gas tank is running out; we need to stop for fuel soon.

And once that happens, that blood runs out, runs out into this tissue.

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Examples

  • And your car has just enough gas left to run out here.

    The Quiet American (1958)

  • My phone is running out of juice.

    End Game (2006)

  • We're running out of time, Dennis.

    Savages (2012)

  • Most planes crash because they run out of gas.

    Here (2024)

  • Todd and Lee had been playing with the water, but now they came running out of the bathroom.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • The floor is inclined so leachate can easily run out of the bins.

    Academic text (1998)

  • A watery, yellowish liquid ran out of the opening, like the juice of an overripe peach.

    Fiction book (1997)

  • She accidentally let the water run out of the bathtub while she was on the phone.

  • As the storm progressed, we watched the supply of food start to run out quickly.

Synonyms

to spill
vsto run out
347 1.0

To accidentally cause liquid to flow out of a container

is similar but focuses on unintended emptying rather than the act of causing it
to drain
vsto run out
198 1.0

To let liquid flow away from something

typically means accidental escape from a container rather than deliberate removal
to spill out
vsto run out
26 3.6

Move out of a place suddenly in large numbers or fall out of a container and spread

applies to liquid leaving unintentionally from a container rather than crowdlike sudden movement
to pour out
vsto run out
22 2.9

Make liquid flow out of a container

can happen unintentionally and does not always mean a large deliberate outflow
to flow out
vsto run out
16 2.9

Move or pour out in a steady stream, often a liquid

is more about unintended loss from a container than steady movement
to run off
vsto run out
7 2.9

Flow away from a surface into drains or rivers

is about leaving a container or space often unintentionally rather than waste removal
to ooze out
vsto run out
7 3.4

To flow slowly in small amounts through tiny holes

often describes an unintended emptying that can be quicker or larger than slow leakage
to ooze from
vsto run out
4 4.2

Slowly flow out from a cut or crack in something

is about unintended loss from a container or space rather than gradual seepage
to seep from
vsto run out
3 3.5

Liquid flows slowly out of something through small holes

is similar but emphasizes sudden or noticeable unintended escape rather than slow leakage
to flow away
vsto run out
1 3.2

Water moves away slowly in a steady stream

implies leaving a container often unintentionally, not long transport by current
to flow off
vsto run out
3.2

To move away from a surface in a steady stream, like water does

is focused on unintentional escape from a container rather than gradual movement away
to well out
vsto run out
6.1

To flow out in large amounts, like tears or blood

often denotes unintentional loss but not necessarily large or free-flowing escape

Antonyms

to contain
∞ 1.1

To have something inside like a box or book

to retain
60 3.0

To hold something inside so it does not escape

How Much

to gush
26 3.2
to pour out
22 2.9
to run out
28 1.3
to leak
212 1.0
to seep
82 2.7

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 originally describes a liquid 'running' from a container, so you can picture juice running out of a bottle and spilling on the floor. That image explains why run out can mean 'to flow out'.