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
In February 2025, Hathaway and Hartnett were spotted filming Verity in New York City, photographed running down the street while wearing semi-formal attire and holding hands.
—
Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 28 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
Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 28 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
-
In September 2024, Judge Delia Trevino dismissed the murder count, finding that prosecutors had failed to clearly establish the fatal shot came from Henderson’s gun, let alone disprove a self-defense theory.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
1 May 2026
-
Steyer would do this in part by reworking the complicated affordable housing finance system to better use public money and attract more private capital, while finding ways to add housing on public lands.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
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
-
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
-
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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The southern site also would not require the creation of a new quarry for dam materials, minimizing environmental impacts.—
Elise Schmelzer,
Denver Post,
1 May 2026
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By spacing screenings to every two years, the ACP argues the tradeoff between early detection and minimizing those harms shifts in most women’s favor.—
Allison Palmer,
Sacbee.com,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Tong was in possession of multiple bags, which officers later searched through after obtaining a search warrant, discovering several bottles containing substances commonly used in the manufacture of meth, according to the outlet.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
1 May 2026
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The incident led to city officials discovering that the fire hydrant pressure had not been tested in over 10 years despite industry standards suggesting they be tested every five years, Pernerewski said at the time.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
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
-
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 3 May. 2026.
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