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Glite Dictionary
to run out of town

to run out of town

5 6.6
Leave a place quickly because people are angry or you are in trouble
  • phrasal verb
translation icon : huir de la ciudad
  • And even more unbelievable, he has not been run out of town.

Examples

  • Or were you run out of town?

    Blog text (4)

  • After the scandal, he was run out of town by the furious townspeople.

  • Oh, a guy got run out of town.

    Silverado (1985)

  • But I just been run out of town because of Hill.

    The Music Man (1962)

  • Run out of town, never to be seen again?

    Watercolor Postcards (2013)

  • I was personally ashamed that these two men were not run out of town by members of our own party.

    Blog text (25)

  • It's pretty obvious that Valentine is being run out of town here by the media; they can deny it all they want.

    Blog text (9)

  • The Lorax wins, but everyone else is run out of town.

    Academic text (2011)

  • That's the real reason she was run out of town when she was fourteen.

    Fiction book (2002)

  • I think again of the story of Mark Andreessen, who was in Illinois but ended up getting run out of town.

    Blog text (16)

Synonyms

to get out
vsto run out of town
∞ 1.0

Leave a place or situation

leans more toward leaving due to disgrace pressure or to escape trouble
to get out of here
vsto run out of town
  • Informal
∞ 3.0

Leave a place quickly or suddenly

tends to suggest leaving because of shame pressure rather than just exiting
to escape
vsto run out of town
∞ 1.0

To get away from a place where you are kept or are in danger

is broader; key stresses leaving due to social pressure or public disgrace
to run away
vsto run out of town
550 1.6

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

is more connected to public disgrace or pressure than private escape
to flee
vsto run out of town
331 2.4

To run away from a place because it is dangerous

is often used when leaving under disgrace or social pressure instead of only danger
to run off
vsto run out of town
  • Informal
260 3.7

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

is more about leaving because of public disgrace or pressure than private escape
to bail
vsto run out of town
  • UK
247 7.1

Leave suddenly to avoid a responsibility or task

is similar but key often involves leaving due to public disgrace or pressure
to skip
vsto run out of town
  • Informal
147 3.7

To leave a place quickly and secretly to avoid trouble

is more about leaving under shame or public pressure rather than mere avoidance
to run out
vsto run out of town
78 2.0

Leave a place suddenly, often to avoid someone or something

focuses more on leaving because of shame pressure than mere quick exit
to drive out
vsto run out of town
70 3.8

Force someone or something to leave a place

differs by being about being forced out rather than choosing to leave under pressure
to make a run for it
vsto run out of town
  • Informal
36 5.3

To try to escape quickly, often by running

is often done because of public shame or pressure not only risk
to skip town
vsto run out of town
  • Informal
28 8.1

Leave a place suddenly and secretly to avoid trouble or debt

is often due to public pressure disgrace or escaping trouble
to rush off
vsto run out of town
20 3.8

Leave suddenly because you are in a hurry

is more often motivated by shame or pressure rather than only haste
to hightail
vsto run out of town
  • Informal
18 8.3

To leave a place very quickly to escape danger or trouble

is often used when leaving under social pressure or disgrace as well
to hightail it
vsto run out of town
  • Informal
16 8.4

To leave a place quickly to avoid trouble or danger

can also imply leaving due to public shame or pressure rather than only danger
to duck out
vsto run out of town
  • Informal
12 7.2

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

is often tied to public disgrace or pressure instead of mere avoidance duty
to fly the coop
vsto run out of town
  • Informal
12 7.9

To leave a place suddenly without permission

is often used for leaving under shame or pressure rather than only breaking rules
to fled the scene
vsto run out of town
11 4.4

Leave a place quickly to avoid being caught after causing or seeing trouble

is more about leaving due to community pressure or disgrace than crime evasion
to get out of Dodge
vsto run out of town
  • Informal
7 9.2

Leave a place quickly to avoid trouble or danger

is often motivated by disgrace or social pressure as reason to go
to run for the hills
vsto run out of town
  • Informal
7 5.6

To leave a place quickly to escape danger or trouble

is often about leaving because of shame pressure rather than only fear
to bolt out
vsto run out of town
  • Informal
5 4.9

Leave a place suddenly and quickly because you feel scared

usually involves social pressure or disgrace as motive rather than only fear
to bolt from
vsto run out of town
  • Informal
5 5.8

To leave a place suddenly and unexpectedly

tends to stress leaving due to disgrace or pressure rather than only suddenness
to high-tail
vsto run out of town
  • Informal
5 8.0

To leave a place very quickly to avoid danger or trouble

emphasizes leaving due to community pressure or disgrace instead of only fear
to make tracks
vsto run out of town
  • Informal
5 7.2

Leave quickly to go somewhere or to avoid trouble

is usually tied to shame pressure or fleeing trouble rather than simple hurry
to head for the hills
vsto run out of town
  • Informal
4 7.8

To run away quickly to escape danger

is often done because of disgrace or social pressure rather than mere safety
to bug-out
vsto run out of town
  • Slang
3 8.2

To leave a place quickly to escape danger

is often used when leaving because of shame or social pressure not only danger
to blow town
vsto run out of town
  • Informal
2 9.8

To leave a place quickly to avoid trouble

is often caused by social pressure or public disgrace rather than simple escape
to beat a retreat
vsto run out of town
1 6.0

To leave a place quickly to avoid danger or trouble

is similar but usually implies social shame or pressure to leave publicly
to take to one's heels
vsto run out of town
  • Informal
1 6.1

Run away quickly to escape danger or trouble

is often used when leaving because of social pressure or disgrace instead of only danger
to make a bolt
vsto run out of town
6.8

To run away quickly, usually because you are afraid

is more about leaving from shame or pressure rather than mere surprise
to absquatulate
vsto run out of town
  • Archaic
9.9

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

is similar but commonly involves shame or community pressure to leave
to take your hook
vsto run out of town
  • Archaic
9.9

Leave a place quickly because you are not welcome

is often linked to leaving because of disgrace or pressure rather than mere abruptness
to skidoo
vsto run out of town
  • Archaic
9.1

To leave quickly to avoid trouble or attention

is similar but commonly implies social pressure or disgrace to leave
to go offski
vsto run out of town
  • Slang
9.9

To leave a place suddenly, usually to go somewhere else

tends to imply leaving under shame or pressure rather than casual departure
to do the dash
vsto run out of town
  • UK
9.3

To run away quickly to avoid being caught

is often motivated by public disgrace or pressure rather than only escape

Antonyms

to return
∞ 1.0

Go back to a place, state or activity

to stay put
  • Informal
133 2.0

Remain in the same place without moving

Surface Forms

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

Morphology

run + out + of + town

The literal combination 'run' + 'out' + 'of' + 'town' readily yields the basic sense of leaving a town quickly, so a B1 learner who knows the words would likely infer that someone departed the town in haste. However, the common pragmatic nuance that the person was forced out, driven away by scandal or pressure is a figurative/interactional detail not fully predictable from the parts, making the expression only partially transparent.

Etymology

Run out of town comes from the picture of angry townspeople chasing someone so they must run out of the town to get away from shame or danger. So it means 'to leave a place quickly because of pressure, shame, or trouble'.