run out

verb

ran out; run out; running out; runs out

intransitive verb

1

a

: to come to an end : expire

time ran out

b

: to become exhausted or used up

the gasoline ran out

2

: to jut out

transitive verb

1

a

: to finish out (a course, a series, a contest, etc.) : complete

b

of a baseball batter : to run hard to first base after hitting (a batted ball)

ran out the grounder

2

a

: to fill out (a typeset line) with quads, leaders, or ornaments

b

: to set (a line of text, such as the first line of a paragraph) with a hanging indention

3

: to exhaust (oneself) in running

4

: to cause to leave by force or coercion : expel

see also:

run out of run out on

Examples of run out in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Not one ad promises to lower the $40 trillion debt or reform Social Security and Medicare, which are projected to run out of money by late 2032. — Cal Thomas, Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026

Arshdeep Singh bowled Kamil Pooran for 12 and Shimron Hetmyer was run out for 5 with Iyer involved in the dismissal. — ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026

There are hopes among boosters of the federal incentive that it can be attached to a year-end government funding bill, with the current legislation running out on that date. — Ted Johnson, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2026

Three plays into that against-all-odds drive, the Seahawks stripped the ball from Justin Herbert, recovered the fumble and ran out the clock. — Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Rhymes for run out

• about
• bailout
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout
• checkout
• closeout
• cutout
• devout
• dropout

Kids Definition

run out

verb

1

: to come to an end : expire

time ran out before we could tie the game

2

: to become exhausted or used up

our supplies were running out