Phrase guide

run out

noun · verb · 19 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Alternative form of runout.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: alt-of, alternative

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To use up or consume all

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic, intransitive, transitive

Examples

  • Get some more beer out of the fridge before we run out.
  • If this hot weather continues, we will run out of ice cream.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To expire; to come to an end.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Examples

  • My driving licence runs out next week, so I had better renew it now.
  • The option will run out next week and I can't get it extended.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To expire; to come to an end.

To be completely used up or consumed.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Examples

  • Time is running out.
  • Oh no! The wine has run out!

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To get a batsman out (dismissed from play) via a runout.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: ball-games, cricket, games, hobbies, lifestyle, sports

Examples

  • Jackson was run out for a duck in the first over.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

To extend a piece of material, or clothing.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • If I run out these curtains, they will fit the windows in the drawing room.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

verb

Meaning 7

To conclude in, to end up.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

verb

Meaning 8

To force (someone or something) out of a location or state of being.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • If the mob thinks you did it, they'll run you out of town.
  • They'll run us out of business doing that!

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

verb

Meaning 9

To grow poor over time by spending all of one's money.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

verb

Meaning 10

To fill a line with quadrats or full points.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

Topics: media, printing, publishing

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

11

verb

Meaning 11

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see run, out.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Near-synonyms: see Thesaurus:leave
  • She ran out of the room in tears.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: beat it, bug off, remove, egress, bugger off, book, bounce, buzz off, chuck, cut one's stick, dash, depart, duck out, exit, get away, get out, go, go away, go out, GTFO, leave, make tracks, move on, namous, part, piss off, pull up stakes, put out, start, start out, set forth, set off, set out, run along, sling one's hook, split, take off, take leave, take one's leave, take wing, quit

Antonyms: none provided

12

verb

Meaning 12

use up all one's strength and energy and stop working

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • At the end of the march, I pooped out

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: poop out, peter out, run down, conk out

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: tire, pall, weary, fatigue, jade

13

verb

Meaning 13

prove insufficient

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The water supply for the town failed after a long drought

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: fail, give out

Antonyms: none provided

14

verb

Meaning 14

become used up; be exhausted

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Our supplies finally ran out

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: end, stop, finish, terminate, cease

15

verb

Meaning 15

exhaust the supply of

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • We ran out of time just as the discussion was getting interesting

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: consume, eat up, use up, eat, deplete, exhaust, run through, wipe out

16

verb

Meaning 16

leave suddenly and as if in a hurry

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The listeners bolted when he discussed his strange ideas
  • When she started to tell silly stories, I ran out

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: run off, bolt, bolt out, beetle off

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: leave, go forth, go away

17

verb

Meaning 17

flow, run or fall out and become lost

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The milk spilled across the floor
  • The wine spilled onto the table

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: spill

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: run, flow, feed, course

Narrower terms: overflow, overrun, well over, run over, brim over

18

verb

Meaning 18

flow off gradually

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The rain water drains into this big vat

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: drain

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: run, flow, feed, course

19

verb

Meaning 19

lose validity

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • My passports expired last month

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: expire

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: discontinue

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

76 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: exhaurir — to use up
  • Dutch: niet meer hebben — to use up
  • Esperanto: elĉerpi — to use up
  • Finnish: loppua — to use up
  • Finnish: käyttää loppuun — to use up
  • French: épuiser — to use up
  • French: être à court — to use up
  • German: ausgehen — to use up
  • Ancient Greek: ὑστερέω (husteréō) — to use up
  • Hungarian: kifogy — to use up
  • Hungarian: kifut — to use up
  • Irish: rith as — to use up
  • Italian: essere a corto — to use up
  • Portuguese: ficar sem — to use up
  • Romanian: rămâne fără — to use up
  • Serbo-Croatian: ponestati — to use up
  • Serbo-Croatian: понестати — to use up
  • Spanish: agotar — to use up
  • Spanish: quedarse sin — to use up
  • Spanish: acabarse — to use up
  • Swedish: få slut (på) — to use up
  • Vietnamese: hết — to use up
  • Welsh: torri i fyny — to use up
  • Arabic: نَفِدَ (nafida) — to expire, to come to an end
  • Azerbaijani: qurtarmaq — to expire, to come to an end
  • Azerbaijani: bitmək — to expire, to come to an end
  • Azerbaijani: tükənmək — to expire, to come to an end
  • Catalan: expirar — to expire, to come to an end
  • Catalan: esgotar — to expire, to come to an end
  • Catalan: acabar-se — to expire, to come to an end
  • Maore Comorian: ukoma — to expire, to come to an end
  • Dutch: aflopen — to expire, to come to an end
  • Finnish: päättyä — to expire, to come to an end
  • Finnish: loppua — to expire, to come to an end
  • French: venir à expiration — to expire, to come to an end
  • French: toucher à sa fin — to expire, to come to an end
  • French: expirer — to expire, to come to an end
  • French: venir à manquer — to expire, to come to an end
  • German: ablaufen — to expire, to come to an end
  • Hungarian: elfogy — to expire, to come to an end
  • Hungarian: kifogy — to expire, to come to an end
  • Icelandic: renna út — to expire, to come to an end
  • Irish: téigh in éag — to expire, to come to an end
  • Italian: esaurire — to expire, to come to an end
  • Italian: finire — to expire, to come to an end
  • Malayalam: തീരുക (tīruka) — to expire, to come to an end
  • Polish: kończyć się — to expire, to come to an end
  • Polish: skończyć się — to expire, to come to an end
  • Polish: zabraknąć — to expire, to come to an end
  • Portuguese: acabar — to expire, to come to an end
  • Russian: зака́нчиваться (zakánčivatʹsja) — to expire, to come to an end
  • Russian: зако́нчиться (zakónčitʹsja) — to expire, to come to an end
  • Russian: конча́ться (končátʹsja) — to expire, to come to an end
  • Russian: ко́нчиться (kónčitʹsja) — to expire, to come to an end
  • Russian: иссяка́ть (issjakátʹ) — to expire, to come to an end
  • Russian: исся́кнуть (issjáknutʹ) — to expire, to come to an end
  • Spanish: expirar — to expire, to come to an end
  • Spanish: extinguirse — to expire, to come to an end
  • Spanish: vencer — to expire, to come to an end
  • Swedish: gå ut — to expire, to come to an end
  • Swedish: förfalla — to expire, to come to an end
  • Turkish: bitmek — to expire, to come to an end
  • Turkish: tükenmek — to expire, to come to an end
  • Ukrainian: закі́нчуватися (zakínčuvatysja) — to expire, to come to an end
  • Ukrainian: закінчи́тися (zakinčýtysja) — to expire, to come to an end
  • Ukrainian: виче́рпуватися (vyčérpuvatysja) — to expire, to come to an end
  • Ukrainian: ви́черпатися (výčerpatysja) — to expire, to come to an end
  • Welsh: dod i ben — to expire, to come to an end
  • Dutch: opraken — to be completely used up
  • German: ausgehen — to be completely used up
  • Hungarian: elfogy — to be completely used up
  • Hungarian: kifogy — to be completely used up
  • Icelandic: þrjóta — to be completely used up
  • Irish: bheith caite — to be completely used up
  • Swedish: tryta — to be completely used up
  • Welsh: torri i fyny — to be completely used up