Run vs. Ran — What's the Difference?
By Urooj Arif & Fiza Rafique — Updated on March 8, 2024
"Run" is the present tense form, denoting current or habitual action. "Ran" is the simple past tense, indicating a completed action.
Difference Between Run and Ran
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
"Run" is used for actions happening in the present or generally over time, fitting into present simple or present perfect tense structures. For instance, "I run every morning" describes a habitual action, while "I have run out of milk" indicates a present state resulting from a past action. Conversely, "ran" specifically denotes actions that happened at a definite point in the past. For example, "I ran five miles yesterday" clearly places the action in the past, with no direct implication for the present.
The use of "run" versus "ran" affects verb tense constructions and the time frame of the narrative. "Run" can also function as a base form or infinitive, enabling it to be used in future tense sentences with auxiliary verbs, like "will run" or "is going to run." "Ran," being past tense, is restricted to narratives or statements about past events and cannot be used to express future actions.
Grammar rules dictate that "run" adapts with subject-verb agreement for the present tense, taking forms like "runs" in third person singular. There's no such variation with "ran," as it remains unchanged regardless of the subject. This distinction is crucial for constructing grammatically correct sentences that accurately convey the timing of actions.
Understanding the difference between "run" and "ran" also helps in mastering more complex verb tenses and aspects, such as the present perfect ("have run") or past perfect ("had run"), each conveying different nuances of time and completion in relation to actions.
Comparison Chart
Tense
Present, also used for future
Simple Past
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Example Usage
"I run daily." "She will run tomorrow."
"They ran to the store yesterday."
Function in Sentence
Describes current/habitual actions or future plans
Indicates completed actions in the past
Verb Form Variation
Changes with third person singular (runs)
No variation, remains "ran"
Auxiliary Usage
Used with auxiliaries for perfect and progressive tenses
Only used in simple past without auxiliary verbs
Compare with Definitions
Run
Used with auxiliary verbs for continuous or perfect aspects.
I am running late. I have run farther this time.
Ran
Simple past tense used for actions completed in the past.
I ran a marathon last year.
Run
Forms commands or requests.
Run to the store and get some bread.
Ran
Indicates a completed action with a specific time frame.
The system ran smoothly until the update.
Run
Present or future tense indicating ongoing or future actions.
I run every morning to stay healthy.
Ran
Does not change form based on the subject.
She ran the same distance yesterday.
Run
Conjugates as "runs" in the third person singular.
She runs faster than anyone I know.
Ran
Cannot be used with auxiliary verbs for different tenses.
We ran out of time during the exam.
Run
Indicates a habitual action or state.
He runs a small cafe in town.
Ran
Used in narratives or recounting past events.
They ran into an old friend at the park.
Run
To move swiftly on foot so that both or all feet are not on the ground during each stride.
Ran
The goddess of the sea.
Run
To retreat rapidly; flee
When they heard the police siren, they ran.
Ran
Past tense of run.
Run
(Informal) To depart; leave
Sorry, I have to run.
Ran
Open robbery.
Run
To migrate, especially to move in a shoal in order to spawn. Used of fish.
Ran
Yarns coiled on a spun-yarn winch.
Run
To move without hindrance or restraint
We let the dog run in the field.
Run
To move or go quickly or hurriedly
Run around doing errands.
Run
To go when in trouble or distress
He is always running to his lawyer.
Run
To make a short, quick trip or visit
Ran next door to borrow a cup of sugar.
Ran down to the store.
Run
To take part in a race or contest by running
Ran in the marathon.
Athletes who run for the gold medal.
Run
To compete in a race for elected office
Ran for mayor.
Run
To finish a race or contest in a specified position
Ran second.
Run
To move freely, as on wheels
The car ran downhill. The drawer runs on small bearings.
Run
To travel over a regular route
The ferry runs every hour.
Run
(Nautical) To sail or steer before the wind or on an indicated course
Run before a storm.
Run
To flow, especially in a steady stream
Fresh water runs from the spring. Turn on the faucet and let the water run.
Run
To melt and flow
The flame made the solder run.
Run
To emit pus, mucus, or serous fluid
Pollen makes my nose run.
Run
To spread or dissolve, as dyes in fabric.
Run
To have dye spread or dissolve
Colorfast garments are not supposed to run.
Run
To extend, stretch, or reach in a certain direction or to a particular point
This road runs to the next town.
Run
To extend, spread, or climb as a result of growing
Ivy ran up the wall.
Run
To become known or prevalent rapidly in or over an area
Disease that ran rampant.
Run
To unravel along a line
Her stocking ran.
Run
To be valid or in effect, as in a given area
The speed limit runs only to the town line.
Run
To be present as a valid accompaniment
Fishing rights run with ownership of the land.
Run
To accumulate or accrue
The interest runs from the first of the month.
Run
To be in operation; function or work
The engine is running.
Run
To pass; elapse
Days ran into weeks.
Run
To tend to persist or recur
Stinginess seems to run in that family.
Run
To pass into or become subject to a specified condition
We ran into debt.
Run
To take a particular form, order, or expression
My reasoning runs thus. The report runs as follows.
Run
To tend or incline
Their taste in art runs to the bizarre.
Run
To occupy or exist in a certain range
The sizes run from small to large.
Run
To be presented or performed
The lecture is running late. The play ran for six months.
Run
To be published or broadcast, especially as news
The story ran in the sports section on Sunday.
Run
To travel over on foot at a pace faster than a walk
Ran the entire distance.
Run
To cause (an animal) to move quickly or rapidly
Ran the horse around the track.
Run
To allow to move without restraint
We like to run the dogs along the beach.
Run
To hunt or pursue; chase
Dogs running deer.
Run
To cause to move quickly
She ran her fingers along the keyboard.
Run
(Nautical) To cause to move on a course
We ran our boat into a cove.
Run
To cause to be in a given condition
The toddlers ran me ragged.
Run
To cause to compete in a race
He ran two horses in the Kentucky Derby.
Run
To present or nominate for elective office
The party ran her for senator.
Run
To convey or transport
Run me into town. Run the garbage over to the dump.
Run
(Football) To attempt to advance (the ball) by carrying it.
Run
To smuggle
Run guns.
Run
To pass over or through
Run the rapids.
Run a roadblock.
Run
To cause to flow
Run water into a tub.
Run
To be flowing with
The fountains ran champagne.
Run
To melt, fuse, or smelt (metal).
Run
To mold or cast (molten metal)
Run gold into ingots.
Run
To cause to extend or pass
Run a rope between the poles.
Run
To mark or trace on a surface
Run a pencil line between two points.
Run
To sew with a continuous line of stitches
Run a seam.
Run
To cause to unravel along a line
She ran her stocking on a splinter.
Run
To submit for consideration or review
I'll run the idea by you before I write the proposal.
Run
To continue to present or perform
Ran the film for a month.
Run
To publish in a periodical
Run an advertisement.
Run
To cause to crash or collide
Ran the car into a fence.
Run
To cause to penetrate
I ran a pin into my thumb.
Run
To subject oneself or be subjected to
Run a risk.
Run
To have as an ongoing financial obligation
Run a deficit.
Run a tab.
Run
To be as a cost for; cost
Those hotel rooms can run you hundreds of dollars a night.
Run
To score (balls or points) consecutively in billiards
Run 15 balls.
Run
To clear (the table) in pool by consecutive scores.
Run
To cause to function; operate
Run a machine.
Run
To control, manage, or direct
Ran the campaign by himself.
A bureau that runs espionage operations.
Run
To do or carry out
Run errands.
Run an experiment.
Run
(Computers) To process or execute (a program or instruction).
Run
To compare (data) with data in a database or other storage medium
The police ran the license plate number to see if the car was registered.
Run
An act or period of running
How was your run this morning?.
Run
A pace faster than a walk
Set off at a brisk run.
Run
A distance covered by running or traveling
A 10-mile run.
Run
The time taken to cover such a distance
By taxi, it is a two minutes' run from the station.
Run
A quick trip or visit
A run into town.
Run
A scheduled or regular route
A delivery run.
Run
A straight course or short distance followed by an aircraft before dropping a bomb on a target.
Run
A stretch or period of riding, as in a race or to the hounds.
Run
(Sports) The distance a golf ball rolls after hitting the ground.
Run
Unrestricted freedom or use of an area
We had the run of the library.
Run
(Sports) A running race
The winner of the mile run.
Run
A campaign for public office
She managed his successful senatorial run.
Run
(Baseball) A point scored by advancing around the bases and reaching home plate safely.
Run
(Football) A player's act of carrying the ball, usually for a specified distance
A 30-yard run.
Run
The migration of fish, especially in order to spawn.
Run
A group or school of fish ascending a river in order to spawn.
Run
A track or slope along or down which something can travel
A logging run.
Run
A pipe or channel through which something flows.
Run
(Sports) A particular type of passage down a hill or across country experienced by an athlete, such as a skier or bobsledder
Had two very good runs before the end of the day.
Run
A trail or way made or frequented by animals.
Run
An outdoor enclosure for domestic animals or poultry
A dog run.
Run
Australian & New Zealand A tract of open land used for raising livestock; a ranch.
Run
A continuous length or extent of something
A five-foot run of tubing.
Run
The direction, configuration, or lie of something
The run of the grain in leather.
Run
(Nautical) The immersed part of a ship's hull abaft of the middle body.
Run
A length of torn or unraveled stitches in a knitted fabric.
Run
(Geology) A vein or seam, as of ore or rock.
Run
A continuous period of operation, especially of a machine or factory
Gave the new furnace a run.
Run
The production achieved during such a period
A press run of 15,000 copies.
Run
(Computers) An execution of a specific program or instruction.
Run
A movement or flow
A run of sap.
Run
The duration or amount of such a flow.
Run
A drip of paint or a mark left by such a drip.
Run
Eastern Lower Northern US See creek.
Run
A fall or slide, as of sand or mud.
Run
An unbroken series or sequence
A run of dry summers.
Run
(Games) A continuous sequence of playing cards in one suit.
Run
An unbroken sequence or period of performances or presentations, as in the theater.
Run
A successful sequence of actions, such as well-played shots or victories in a sport.
Run
(Music) A rapid sequence of notes.
Run
A series of unexpected and urgent demands, as by depositors or customers
A run on a bank.
Run
A sustained state or condition
A run of good luck.
Run
A trend or tendency
The run of events.
Run
The average type, group, or category
The broad run of voters want the candidate to win.
Run
Runs(Informal)Diarrhea. Often used with the.
Run
Being in a melted or molten state
Run butter.
Run gold.
Run
Completely exhausted from running.
Run
To move swiftly.
Run
(intransitive) To move forward quickly upon two feet by alternately making a short jump off either foot. Compare walk.
Run, Sarah, run!
Run
(intransitive) To go at a fast pace; to move quickly.
The horse ran the length of the track.
I have been running all over the building looking for him.
Sorry, I've got to run; my house is on fire.
Run
(transitive) To cause to move quickly or lightly.
Every day I run my dog across the field and back.
I'll just run the vacuum cleaner over the carpet.
Run your fingers through my hair.
Run
To compete in a race.
The horse will run the Preakness next year.
I'm not ready to run a marathon.
Run
(transitive) To transport someone or something, notionally at a brisk pace.
Could you run me over to the store?
Please run this report upstairs to director's office.
Run
Of a means of transportation: to travel (a route).
The bus (train, plane, ferry boat, etc) runs between Newport and Riverside
Run
(transitive) To transit a length of a river, as in whitewater rafting.
Run
(intransitive) Of fish, to migrate for spawning.
Run
To carry (a football) down the field, as opposed to passing or kicking.
Run
(transitive) To achieve or perform by running or as if by running.
The horse ran a great race.
Run
(intransitive) To flee from a danger or towards help.
Whenever things get tough, she cuts and runs.
When he's broke, he runs to me for money.
Run
To pass (without stopping), typically a stop signal, stop sign, or duty to yield the right of way.
If you have a collision with a vehicle oncoming from the right, after having run priority to the right, you are at fault.
Run
To juggle a pattern continuously, as opposed to starting and stopping quickly.
Run
(fluids) To flow.
Run
To move or spread quickly.
There's a strange story running around the neighborhood.
The flu is running through my daughter's kindergarten.
Run
(intransitive) Of an object, to have a liquid flowing from it.
Your nose is running.
Why is the hose still running?
Run
(transitive) To make a liquid flow; to make liquid flow from or into an object.
You'll have to run the water a while before it gets hot.
Could you run a bath for me, please?
Run
(intransitive) To become liquid; to melt.
Run
(intransitive) To leak or spread in an undesirable fashion; to bleed (especially used of dye or paint).
During washing, the red from the rug ran onto the white sheet, staining it pink.
Run
To fuse; to shape; to mould; to cast.
To run bullets
Run
To sail before the wind, in distinction from reaching or sailing close-hauled.
Run
(transitive) To control or manage, be in charge of.
My uncle ran a corner store for forty years.
She runs the fundraising.
My parents think they run my life.
He is running the candidate's expensive campaign.
Run
(intransitive) To be a candidate in an election.
I have decided to run for governor of California.
We're trying to find somebody to run against him next year.
Run
To make participate in certain kinds of competitions
Run
(transitive) To make run in a race.
He ran his best horse in the Derby.
Run
(transitive) To make run in an election.
The Green Party is running twenty candidates in this election.
Run
To exert continuous activity; to proceed.
To run through life; to run in a circle
Run
(intransitive) To be presented in the media.
The story will run on the 6-o'clock news.
The latest Robin Williams movie is running at the Silver City theatre.
Her picture ran on the front page of the newspaper.
Run
(transitive) To print or broadcast in the media.
Run a story; run an ad
Run
(transitive) To smuggle (illegal goods).
To run guns; to run rum
Run
To sort through a large volume of produce in quality control.
Looks like we're gonna have to run the tomatoes again.
Run
To extend or persist, statically or dynamically, through space or time.
Run
(intransitive) To extend in space or through a range (often with a measure phrase).
The border runs for 3000 miles.
The leash runs along a wire.
The grain of the wood runs to the right on this table.
It ran in quality from excellent to substandard.
Run
(intransitive) To extend in time, to last, to continue (usually with a measure phrase).
The sale will run for ten days.
The contract runs through 2008.
The meeting ran late.
The book runs 655 pages.
The speech runs as follows: …
Run
(transitive) To make something extend in space.
I need to run this wire along the wall.
Run
(intransitive) Of a machine, including computer programs, to be operating or working normally.
My car stopped running.
That computer runs twenty-four hours a day.
Buses don't run here on Sunday.
Run
(transitive) To make a machine operate.
It's full. You can run the dishwasher now.
Don't run the engine so fast.
Run
To pass or go quickly in thought or conversation.
To run from one subject to another
Run
(copulative) To become different in a way mentioned (usually to become worse).
Our supplies are running low.
They frequently overspent and soon ran into debt.
Run
(transitive) To cost a large amount of money.
Buying a new laptop will run you a thousand dollars.
Laptops run about a thousand dollars apiece.
Run
(intransitive) Of stitches or stitched clothing, to unravel.
My stocking is running.
Run
To pursue in thought; to carry in contemplation.
Run
To cause to enter; to thrust.
To run a sword into or through the body; to run a nail into one's foot
Run
To drive or force; to cause, or permit, to be driven.
Run
To cause to be drawn; to mark out; to indicate; to determine.
To run a line
Run
To encounter or incur (a danger or risk).
To run the risk of losing one's life
Run
To put at hazard; to venture; to risk.
Run
To tease with sarcasms and ridicule.
Run
To sew (a seam) by passing the needle through material in a continuous line, generally taking a series of stitches on the needle at the same time.
Run
To control or have precedence in a card game.
Every three or four hands he would run the table.
Run
To be in form thus, as a combination of words.
Run
(archaic) To be popularly known; to be generally received.
Run
To have growth or development.
Boys and girls run up rapidly.
Run
To tend, as to an effect or consequence; to incline.
Run
To have a legal course; to be attached; to continue in force, effect, or operation; to follow; to go in company.
Certain covenants run with the land.
Run
To encounter or suffer (a particular, usually bad, fate or misfortune).
Run
(golf) To strike (the ball) in such a way as to cause it to run along the ground, as when approaching a hole.
Run
To speedrun.
Run
Past participle of rin
Run
Act or instance of running, of moving rapidly using the feet.
I just got back from my morning run.
Run
Act or instance of hurrying (to or from a place) not necessarily on foot; dash or errand, trip.
I need to make a run to the store.
Run
A pleasure trip.
Let's go for a run in the car.
Run
Flight, instance or period of fleeing.
Run
Migration of fish.
Run
A group of fish that migrate, or ascend a river for the purpose of spawning.
Run
A literal or figurative path or course for movement relating to:
Run
A (regular) trip or route.
The bus on the Cherry Street run is always crowded.
Run
The route taken while running or skiing.
Which run did you do today?
Run
A single trip down a hill, as in skiing and bobsledding.
Run
The distance sailed by a ship.
A good run; a run of fifty miles
Run
A voyage.
A run to China
Run
A trial.
The data got lost, so I'll have to perform another run of the experiment.
Run
The execution of a program or model
This morning's run of the SHIPS statistical model gave Hurricane Priscilla a 74% chance of gaining at least 30 knots of intensity in 24 hours, reconfirmed by the HMON and GFS dynamical models.
Run
(video games) A playthrough, or attempted playthrough; a session of play.
This was my first successful run without losing any health.
Run
Unrestricted use. have the run of.
He can have the run of the house.
Run
An enclosure for an animal; a track or path along which something can travel.
He set up a rabbit run.
Run
Rural landholding for farming, usually for running sheep, and operated by a runholder.
Run
State of being current; currency; popularity.
Run
Continuous or sequential
Run
A continuous period (of time) marked by a trend; a period marked by a continuing trend.
I’m having a run of bad luck.
He went to Las Vegas and spent all his money over a three-day run.
Run
A series of tries in a game that were successful.
If our team can keep up their strong defense, expect them to make a run in this tournament.
Run
A production quantity (such as in a factory).
Yesterday we did a run of 12,000 units.
The book’s initial press run will be 5,000 copies.
Run
The period of showing of a play, film, TV series, etc.
The run of the show lasted two weeks, and we sold out every night.
It is the last week of our French cinema run.
Run
(slang) A period of extended (usually daily) drug use.
Run
(card games) A sequence of cards in a suit in a card game.
Run
(music) A rapid passage in music, especially along a scale.
Run
A flow of liquid; a leak.
The constant run of water from the faucet annoys me.
A run of must in wine-making
The first run of sap in a maple orchard
Run
A small creek or part thereof. Compare Southern US branch and New York and New England brook.
The military campaign near that creek was known as "The battle of Bull Run".
Run
A quick pace, faster than a walk.
He broke into a run.
Run
(of horses) A fast gallop.
Run
(banking) A sudden series of demands on a bank or other financial institution, especially characterised by great withdrawals.
Financial insecurity led to a run on the banks, as customers feared for the security of their savings.
Run
Any sudden large demand for something.
There was a run on Christmas presents.
Run
Various horizontal dimensions or surfaces
Run
The top of a step on a staircase, also called a tread, as opposed to the rise.
Run
The horizontal length of a set of stairs
Run
(construction) Horizontal dimension of a slope.
Run
A standard or unexceptional group or category.
He stood out from the usual run of applicants.
Run
In sports
Run
(baseball) A score when a runner touches all bases legally; the act of a runner scoring.
Run
(cricket) The act of passing from one wicket to another; the point scored for this.
Run
(American football) A running play.
[...] one of the greatest runs of all time.
Run
(golf) The movement communicated to a golf ball by running it.
Run
(golf) The distance a ball travels after touching the ground from a stroke.
Run
The distance drilled with a bit, in oil drilling.
Run
A line of knit stitches that have unravelled, particularly in a nylon stocking.
I have a run in my stocking.
Run
(nautical) The stern of the underwater body of a ship from where it begins to curve upward and inward.
Run
(mining) The horizontal distance to which a drift may be carried, either by licence of the proprietor of a mine or by the nature of the formation; also, the direction which a vein of ore or other substance takes.
Run
A pair or set of millstones.
Run
(speedrunning) Shortening of speedrun.
Run
In a liquid state; melted or molten.
Put some run butter on the vegetables.
Run
Cast in a mould.
Run
Exhausted; depleted especially with "down" or "out".
Run
Travelled, migrated; having made a migration or a spawning run.
Run
Smuggled.
Run brandy
Run
To move, proceed, advance, pass, go, come, etc., swiftly, smoothly, or with quick action; - said of things animate or inanimate. Hence, to flow, glide, or roll onward, as a stream, a snake, a wagon, etc.; to move by quicker action than in walking, as a person, a horse, a dog.
Run
To go swiftly; to pass at a swift pace; to hasten.
"Ha, ha, the fox!" and after him they ran.
Run
To flee, as from fear or danger.
As from a bear a man would run for life.
Run
To steal off; to depart secretly.
Run
Specifically, of a horse: To move rapidly in a gait in which each leg acts in turn as a propeller and a supporter, and in which for an instant all the limbs are gathered in the air under the body.
Run
To contend in a race; hence, to enter into a contest; to become a candidate; as, to run for Congress.
Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
Run
To turn, as a wheel; to revolve on an axis or pivot; as, a wheel runs swiftly round.
She saw with joy the line immortal run,Each sire impressed, and glaring in his son.
Run
To move rapidly by springing steps so that there is an instant in each step when neither foot touches the ground; - so distinguished from walking in athletic competition.
And had her stock been less, no doubtShe must have long ago run out.
But these, having been untrimmed for many years, had run up into great bushes, or rather dwarf trees.
Run
To pass from one state or condition to another; to come into a certain condition; - often with in or into; as, to run into evil practices; to run in debt.
Have I not cause to rave and beat my breast, to rend my heart with grief and run distracted?
Run
To go back and forth from place to place; to ply; as, the stage runs between the hotel and the station.
As fast as our time runs, we should be very glad in most part of our lives that it ran much faster.
Run
To exert continuous activity; to proceed; as, to run through life; to run in a circle.
Virgil, in his first Georgic, has run into a set of precepts foreign to his subject.
Run
To continue in operation; to be kept in action or motion; as, this engine runs night and day; the mill runs six days in the week.
When we desire anything, our minds run wholly on the good circumstances of it; when it is obtained, our minds run wholly on the bad ones.
Run
To discuss; to continue to think or speak about something; - with on.
Run
To have a course or direction; as, a line runs east and west.
Where the generally allowed practice runs counter to it.
Little is the wisdom, where the flightSo runs against all reason.
Run
To be in form thus, as a combination of words.
The king's ordinary style runneth, "Our sovereign lord the king."
Run
To be popularly known; to be generally received.
Men gave them their own names, by which they run a great while in Rome.
Neither was he ignorant what report ran of himself.
Run
To have growth or development; as, boys and girls run up rapidly.
If the richness of the ground cause turnips to run to leaves.
Run
To tend, as to an effect or consequence; to incline.
A man's nature runs either to herbs or weeds.
Temperate climates run into moderate governments.
Run
To spread and blend together; to unite; as, colors run in washing.
In the middle of a rainbow the colors are . . . distinguished, but near the borders they run into one another.
Run
To have a legal course; to be attached; to continue in force, effect, or operation; to follow; to go in company; as, certain covenants run with the land.
Customs run only upon our goods imported or exported, and that but once for all; whereas interest runs as well upon our ships as goods, and must be yearly paid.
Run
To continue without falling due; to hold good; as, a note has thirty days to run.
Run
To pursue in thought; to carry in contemplation.
To run the world back to its first original.
I would gladly understand the formation of a soul, and run it up to its "punctum saliens."
Run
To cause to enter; to thrust; as, to run a sword into or through the body; to run a nail into the foot.
You run your head into the lion's mouth.
Having run his fingers through his hair.
Run
To drive or force; to cause, or permit, to be driven.
They ran the ship aground.
A talkative person runs himself upon great inconveniences by blabbing out his own or other's secrets.
Others, accustomed to retired speculations, run natural philosophy into metaphysical notions.
Run
To fuse; to shape; to mold; to cast; as, to run bullets, and the like.
The purest gold must be run and washed.
Run
To cause to be drawn; to mark out; to indicate; to determine; as, to run a line.
Run
To cause to pass, or evade, offical restrictions; to smuggle; - said of contraband or dutiable goods.
Heavy impositions . . . are a strong temptation of running goods.
Run
To go through or accomplish by running; as, to run a race; to run a certain career.
Run
To cause to stand as a candidate for office; to support for office; as, to run some one for Congress.
Run
To encounter or incur, as a danger or risk; as, to run the risk of losing one's life. See To run the chances, below.
If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure.
Run
To put at hazard; to venture; to risk.
He would himself be in the Highlands to receive them, and run his fortune with them.
Run
To conduct; to manage; to carry on; as, to run a factory or a hotel.
Run
To tease with sarcasms and ridicule.
Run
To sew, as a seam, by passing the needle through material in a continuous line, generally taking a series of stitches on the needle at the same time.
Run
To migrate or move in schools; - said of fish; esp., to ascend a river in order to spawn.
Run
To strike (the ball) in such a way as to cause it to run along the ground, as when approaching a hole.
Run
The act of running; as, a long run; a good run; a quick run; to go on the run.
Run
A small stream; a brook; a creek.
Run
That which runs or flows in the course of a certain operation, or during a certain time; as, a run of must in wine making; the first run of sap in a maple orchard.
Run
A course; a series; that which continues in a certain course or series; as, a run of good or bad luck.
They who made their arrangements in the first run of misadventure . . . put a seal on their calamities.
Run
State of being current; currency; popularity.
It is impossible for detached papers to have a general run, or long continuance, if not diversified with humor.
Run
Continued repetition on the stage; - said of a play; as, to have a run of a hundred successive nights.
A canting, mawkish play . . . had an immense run.
Run
A continuing urgent demand; especially, a pressure on a bank or treasury for payment of its notes.
Run
A range or extent of ground for feeding stock; as, a sheep run.
Run
The aftermost part of a vessel's hull where it narrows toward the stern, under the quarter.
Run
A pleasure excursion; a trip.
I think of giving her a run in London.
Run
The horizontal distance to which a drift may be carried, either by license of the proprietor of a mine or by the nature of the formation; also, the direction which a vein of ore or other substance takes.
Run
A roulade, or series of running tones.
Run
The greatest degree of swiftness in marching. It is executed upon the same principles as the double-quick, but with greater speed.
Run
The act of migrating, or ascending a river to spawn; - said of fish; also, an assemblage or school of fishes which migrate, or ascend a river for the purpose of spawning.
Run
In baseball, a complete circuit of the bases made by a player, which enables him to score one point; also, the point thus scored; in cricket, a passing from one wicket to the other, by which one point is scored; as, a player made three runs; the side went out with two hundred runs; the Yankees scored three runs in the seventh inning.
The "runs" are made from wicket to wicket, the batsmen interchanging ends at each run.
Run
A pair or set of millstones.
Run
A number of cards of the same suit in sequence; as, a run of four in hearts.
Run
The movement communicated to a golf ball by running.
[Man] starts the inferior of the brute animals, but he surpasses them in the long run.
I saw nothing else that is superior to the common run of parks.
Burns never dreamed of looking down on others as beneath him, merely because he was conscious of his own vast superiority to the common run of men.
His whole appearance was something out of the common run.
Run
Melted, or made from molten material; cast in a mold; as, run butter; run iron or lead.
Run
Smuggled; as, run goods.
Run
A score in baseball made by a runner touching all four bases safely;
The Yankees scored 3 runs in the bottom of the 9th
Their first tally came in the 3rd inning
Run
The act of testing something;
In the experimental trials the amount of carbon was measured separately
He called each flip of the coin a new trial
Run
A race run on foot;
She broke the record for the half-mile run
Run
An unbroken series of events;
Had a streak of bad luck
Nicklaus had a run of birdies
Run
(American football) a play in which a player runs with the ball;
The defensive line braced to stop the run
The coach put great emphasis on running
Run
A regular trip;
The ship made its run in record time
Run
The act of running; traveling on foot at a fast pace;
He broke into a run
His daily run keeps him fit
Run
The continuous period of time during which something (a machine or a factory) operates or continues in operation;
The assembly line was on a 12-hour run
Run
Unrestricted freedom to use;
He has the run of the house
Run
The production achieved during a continuous period of operation (of a machine or factory etc.);
A daily run of 100,000 gallons of paint
Run
A small stream
Run
A race between candidates for elective office;
I managed his campaign for governor
He is raising money for a Senate run
Run
A row of unravelled stitches;
She got a run in her stocking
Run
The pouring forth of a fluid
Run
An unbroken chronological sequence;
The play had a long run on Broadway
The team enjoyed a brief run of victories
Run
A short trip;
Take a run into town
Run
Move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time;
Don't run--you'll be out of breath
The children ran to the store
Run
Flee; take to one's heels; cut and run;
If you see this man, run!
The burglars escaped before the police showed up
Run
Stretch out over a distance, space, time, or scope; run or extend between two points or beyond a certain point;
Service runs all the way to Cranbury
His knowledge doesn't go very far
My memory extends back to my fourth year of life
The facts extend beyond a consideration of her personal assets
Run
Direct or control; projects, businesses, etc.;
She is running a relief operation in the Sudan
Run
Have a particular form;
The story or argument runs as follows
As the saying goes...
Run
Move along, of liquids;
Water flowed into the cave
The Missouri feeds into the Mississippi
Run
Perform as expected when applied;
The washing machine won't go unless it's plugged in
Does this old car still run well?
This old radio doesn't work anymore
Run
Change or be different within limits;
Estimates for the losses in the earthquake range as high as $2 billion
Interest rates run from 5 to 10 percent
The instruments ranged from tuba to cymbals
My students range from very bright to dull
Run
Run, stand, or compete for an office or a position;
Who's running for treasurer this year?
Run
Cause to emit recorded sounds;
They ran the tapes over and over again
Can you play my favorite record?
Run
Move about freely and without restraint, or act as if running around in an uncontrolled way;
Who are these people running around in the building?
She runs around telling everyone of her troubles
Let the dogs run free
Run
Have a tendency or disposition to do or be something; be inclined;
She tends to be nervous before her lectures
These dresses run small
He inclined to corpulence
Run
Carry out a process or program, as on a computer or a machine;
Run the dishwasher
Run a new program on the Mac
The computer executed the instruction
Run
Be operating, running or functioning;
The car is still running--turn it off!
Run
Change from one state to another;
Run amok
Run rogue
Run riot
Run
Cause to perform;
Run a subject
Run a process
Run
Be affected by; be subjected to;
Run a temperature
Run a risk
Run
Continue to exist;
These stories die hard
The legend of Elvis endures
Run
Occur persistently;
Musical talent runs in the family
Run
Include as the content; broadcast or publicize;
We ran the ad three times
This paper carries a restaurant review
All major networks carried the press conference
Run
Carry out;
Run an errand
Run
Guide or pass over something;
He ran his eyes over her body
She ran her fingers along the carved figurine
He drew her hair through his fingers
Run
Cause something to pass or lead somewhere;
Run the wire behind the cabinet
Run
Make without a miss
Run
Deal in illegally, such as arms or liquor
Run
Cause an animal to move fast;
Run the dogs
Run
Be diffused;
These dyes and colors are guaranteed not to run
Run
Sail before the wind
Run
Cover by running; run a certain distance;
She ran 10 miles that day
Run
Extend or continue for a certain period of time;
The film runs 5 hours
Run
Set animals loose to graze
Run
Keep company;
The heifers run with the bulls ot produce offspring
Run
Run with the ball; in such sports as football
Run
Travel rapidly, by any (unspecified) means;
Run to the store!
She always runs to Italy, because she has a lover there
Run
Travel a route regularly;
Ships ply the waters near the coast
Run
Pursue for food or sport (as of wild animals);
Goering often hunted wild boars in Poland
The dogs are running deer
The Duke hunted in these woods
Run
Compete in a race;
He is running the Marathon this year
Let's race and see who gets there first
Run
Progress by being changed;
The speech has to go through several more drafts
Run through your presentation before the meeting
Run
Reduce or cause to be reduced from a solid to a liquid state, usually by heating;
Melt butter
Melt down gold
The wax melted in the sun
Run
Come unraveled or undone as if by snagging;
Her nylons were running
Run
Become undone;
The sweater unraveled
Common Curiosities
How do you use "run" in a sentence?
"Run" can indicate current actions, future plans, or habitual activities, e.g., "I run every day."
Can "ran" be used for future tense?
No, "ran" is exclusively past tense and cannot denote future actions.
Can "run" and "ran" be interchangeable?
No, their use depends on the tense required by the context of the sentence.
What is the base form of "ran"?
The base form is "run," used for present tense and infinitives.
Is "had run" correct?
Yes, "had run" is the past perfect tense, indicating an action completed before another past action.
How does subject-verb agreement affect "run"?
"Run" changes to "runs" in the third person singular present tense, e.g., "He runs fast."
How do you convert "run" into past tense?
"Run" becomes "ran" to indicate past tense, e.g., "Yesterday, I ran five miles."
Why is it important to know the difference between "run" and "ran"?
Understanding the difference helps in accurately conveying time frames and completing actions in speech and writing.
What distinguishes "run" from "ran" in terms of usage?
"Run" is versatile, used for present, future, and as an infinitive, whereas "ran" is strictly for past actions.
How do auxiliary verbs work with "run"?
Auxiliary verbs combine with "run" to form continuous ("is running") or perfect ("has run") aspects.
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Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
Co-written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
