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Glite Dictionary
running away

running away

78 3.8
Leaving home or another place without permission when you should stay
  • noun
  • /ˈrʌnɪŋ əˈweɪ/
translation icon : huida
  • The children's running away from home worried their parents.
  • running away from home
  • truancy and running away
  • risk of running away

And here's the thing about running away from your problems, running away from your past.

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Examples

  • Running away from your responsibilities is not a solution.

  • He faced the consequences of his actions instead of running away.

  • Why are you running away?

    Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024)

  • You were always running away.

    All of Us Strangers (2023)

  • Why is she running away?

    Man of the Year (2006)

  • Well, I almost did, and my actions drove her to run away from home.

    Midnight (2020)

  • We solve nothing by running away from it.

    Hitler's Children (1943)

  • Often we feel like running away, like there's something coming up.

  • And here's the thing about running away from your problems, running away from your past.

    Evan Carmichael

  • Fear is a potent trigger for a child at risk of running away.

    Academic text (2009)

Synonyms

escape
vsrunning away
320 1.1

An act of getting away from a place where you are kept or are in danger

is leaving without permission when you are expected to stay
flight
vsrunning away
111 4.9

A quick secret escape from danger or capture

is leaving without permission rather than only avoiding danger
going away
vsrunning away
109 3.2

Leaving a place or people to live somewhere else for a long time

focuses instead on leaving without permission in the moment
getaway
vsrunning away
70 4.6

A quick escape by criminals after a crime

is broader, applying to leaving without permission in many situations
evasion
vsrunning away
5 6.3

A quick movement that lets someone escape being caught

is a plain act of leaving without permission, not focused on trickery
breaking away
vsrunning away
5 5.0

An act of leaving a group suddenly to be on your own

is leaving where you should be, not primarily about independence
disappearing
vsrunning away
5 4.7

Leaving a place secretly or without explaining why

is about leaving without permission where you are expected to be
leaving
vsrunning away
4 1.0

The act of going away from a place or person

is specifically about unauthorised departure rather than a normal exit

Antonyms

to stay put
  • Informal
133 2.0

Remain in the same place without moving

returning
2.9

Coming back after being gone

Surface Forms

running away singular
running aways singular

Morphology

run + away

The meaning 'the act of leaving or escaping' is directly and compositionally derived from 'run' (move quickly/escape) + 'away' (from a place), with the gerundial form simply nominalizing that action. This motion verb + particle pattern is cross-linguistically common and follows standard English composition, so a B1 learner who knows both words would readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

Running away: The noun running away comes from the simple picture of someone physically running and moving away from home or a place, often quickly and in secret. That's why it means 'the act of leaving a place, especially without permission'.