1
as in finding
to come upon after searching, study, or effort
finally ran down the answer after hours of research
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dismissing
to express scornfully one's low opinion of
constantly running down the city's cultural life won't do anything to improve it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of running down
Flight meant running down the slope of the roof and jumping.
—
Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 15 Apr. 2026
Tuesday’s game ended with defensive replacement Will Benson, acquired in exchange for Hajjar ahead of the 2023 season, running down a long drive by San Francisco’s Daniel Susac to secure the victory.
—C. Trent Rosecrans, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2026
Less than 10 minutes later, that same fan is running down the street with others, shrieking and holding up their photos and signed papers in triumph.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 10 Apr. 2026
Instantly the turkey was up again and running down a shallow ditch.
—Bruce Brady, Outdoor Life, 8 Apr. 2026
The Bruins held the ball with the clock running down, and Leger-Walker dribbled it to around the top of the three-point line and stopped.
—Marisa Ingemi, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2026
The phone hit Green near his ear, with blood quickly running down his neck following the impact.
—Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 15 Mar. 2026
What the picture didn’t document were the tears running down Marilyn’s cheeks.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 14 Mar. 2026
Its winter operation, which offers the stark visual of a sled running down an ice- and snow-covered track surrounded by a subarctic landscape, has captured international attention.
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 11 Mar. 2026
Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 15 Apr. 2026
Tuesday’s game ended with defensive replacement Will Benson, acquired in exchange for Hajjar ahead of the 2023 season, running down a long drive by San Francisco’s Daniel Susac to secure the victory.
—C. Trent Rosecrans, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2026
Less than 10 minutes later, that same fan is running down the street with others, shrieking and holding up their photos and signed papers in triumph.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 10 Apr. 2026
Instantly the turkey was up again and running down a shallow ditch.
—Bruce Brady, Outdoor Life, 8 Apr. 2026
The Bruins held the ball with the clock running down, and Leger-Walker dribbled it to around the top of the three-point line and stopped.
—Marisa Ingemi, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2026
The phone hit Green near his ear, with blood quickly running down his neck following the impact.
—Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 15 Mar. 2026
What the picture didn’t document were the tears running down Marilyn’s cheeks.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 14 Mar. 2026
Its winter operation, which offers the stark visual of a sled running down an ice- and snow-covered track surrounded by a subarctic landscape, has captured international attention.
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 11 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for running down
Verb
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Gabriel, a 5-11 quarterback with middling arm strength, will have a difficult time finding that same opportunity.—
Sam Warren,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
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Desperation under dire circumstances didn’t stop the Lakers from finding their lifeline in a 112-108 overtime victory over the Houston Rockets, winning the 5-minute extra period 11-7 after a stunning comeback in the final minute of regulation.—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Federal lawyers said judges made mistakes in dismissing the cases by arguing the Civil Rights Act granted the attorney general access to local voting records.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2026
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Quit dismissing them as uneducated.—
Ashley Hume,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The building will have a gym, a gross motor room with play equipment for the youngest students, a two-story library with reading nooks, a learning hub able to accommodate two classes at a time, and an outdoor area with patio furniture.—
Mike Danahey,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
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Dex’s focus on AI software developers and machine learning engineers has helped the company win over a clutch of high-profile recruiting leaders.—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Together, LaSota and Danielson hatched a plan to convince other Rationalists to live together on boats too, with the idea of minimizing their collective living expenses in order to make more room in their lives for intellectual work — work on AI safety in particular.—
Tessa Stuart,
Rolling Stone,
23 Apr. 2026
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The concept de la maison is a commitment to sustainability and minimizing waste.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Scientists are using Nvidia GPUs to examine the data and regularly discovering the oldest galaxies in the universe.—
Reed Albergotti,
semafor.com,
24 Apr. 2026
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The Digital Fossil Mining, besides discovering the beaks in the first place, enabled Iba’s team to observe very fine details of their structure.—
Jacek Krywko,
ArsTechnica,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Politicos everywhere are talking down Johnson’s chances.—
Laura Washington,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Mar. 2026
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During his remarks, Beshear accused Vance, whose memoir explores issues such as poverty and the lack of opportunity in Appalachia and the Rust Belt, of talking down to the people of Kentucky.—
Hannah Demissie,
ABC News,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Fans’ attachment is largely to the kids, who aren’t kids anymore, and ’80s nostalgia, which is a diminishing resource.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
23 Apr. 2026
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The densest areas fragment first, diminishing further in size.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Analyses for both bills cite reporting by KFF Health News that found family members and attorneys have faced extreme difficulty locating and supporting patients hospitalized while in immigration custody.—
Claudia Boyd Barrett,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Apr. 2026
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Police were unsuccessful in locating Chance following the incident.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Running down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/running%20down. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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