3
a
: incessant, continuous
a running battle
b
: made during the course of a process or activity
a running commentary on the game
4
: measured in a straight line
cost of lumber per running foot
5
a
: initiated or performed while running or with a running start
a running catch
a running jump
b
: of, relating to, or being a football play in which the ball is advanced by running rather than by passing
their running game was off
c
: designed for use by runners
a running track
running shoes
6
: fitted or trained for running rather than walking, trotting, or jumping
a running horse
: in succession : consecutively
three days running
Examples of running in a Sentence
Noun
He took up running for exercise.
They go running every evening.
Adjective
Never add fuel to a running engine.
The farmer had a running battle with pests and disease.
The major television stations provided running commentaries on the election results.
She kept a running total of their expenses on the trip.
Adverb
He has won the competition three times running.
he won the championship five times running
Recent Examples on the Web
Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025
Olivia Holt Photo: Getty Images Already a favorite among serious Britney fans (known as the B Army), the 27-year-old is one of the younger stars in the running.
—Christian Allaire, Vogue, 2 Apr. 2025
Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 31 Mar. 2025
Using the Swift Go for an hour, working and watching YouTube videos with the display set to 100% brightness, the battery drained by 16%, suggesting an overall running time of about six hours for office tasks in a worst-case scenario.
—PCMAG, 27 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for running
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
Keep a daily running score or just play for a new score each day.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025
Olivia Holt Photo: Getty Images Already a favorite among serious Britney fans (known as the B Army), the 27-year-old is one of the younger stars in the running.
—Christian Allaire, Vogue, 2 Apr. 2025
Adjective
Comedian Tig Notaro hosted the awards (which streamed on Twitch) and had the audience laughing at a running bit about how, despite having hosted several podcasts in the past and currently hosting Handsome with Fortune Feimster and Mae Martin, wasn’t nominated for any awards.
—Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 31 Mar. 2025
Using the Swift Go for an hour, working and watching YouTube videos with the display set to 100% brightness, the battery drained by 16%, suggesting an overall running time of about six hours for office tasks in a worst-case scenario.
—PCMAG, 27 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for running
Cite this Entry
“Running.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/running. Accessed 9 Apr. 2025.
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