The Phrasal Verb 'Run Out' Explained
Updated: 5 days ago
An explanation of the different meanings of the English phrasal verb 'run out' from a native speaker, with lots of examples in context
Hello and welcome to my website for English learners all about phrasal verbs where I explain their different meanings to help you understand, learn and use them.
This post is all about the phrasal verb 'run out'. This is a really common phrasal verb in English and so I imagine that you know at least one of its meanings. Did you know, however, that it has at least three meanings? In this post, I will explain each of these for you so that you can impress your English-speaking friends, family and colleagues with your superior 'run out' skills. For each application, I will also give you lots of example sentences to show you how and when you should use it. So, let's get started and see what the phrasal verb 'run out' is all about....
QUICK ANSWER: What does the phrasal verb 'run out' mean?The phrasal verb 'run out' has three main meanings:
Keep reading to learn the different ways to use them naturally! |
TABLE OF CONTENTS (Click to jump to each one)
Please don't forget to like or comment if you enjoyed the post! Your feedback is greatly appreciated. Thank you. James 😊 |
THE BASICS
RUN OUT: KEY INFORMATION
Usage | Common |
Number of meanings | 3 |
Simple past form | Ran out |
Past participle | Run out |
Separable? | Rarely |
To begin, let's first consider the meaning of the base verb 'to run' and the particle 'out' and what they mean on their own.
Firstly, we have the irregular verb 'to run', meaning to move on foot at a speed faster than walking, with moments when neither foot is on the ground. In addition to this primary meaning, it can also be used to mean 'to manage' (in terms of a company), 'to flow' (in terms of water and other liquids) and 'to function' (in terms of machines), among other uses. Another meaning of 'to run' that is relevant for the phrasal verb 'run out' is that it can mean 'to continue or operate over a period of time' and in this sense would be used to talk about contracts and agreements.
I run 5km at least twice a week to stay fit and healthy.
Sophie ran past my house this morning.
John runs a very successful printing business.
The river runs alongside the road.
All of the computers in the office are running.
The contract will run until the end of year.
Next, we have the particle 'out', which is an enormously common word in English with many meanings and applications. It functions as the natural opposite of 'in' and is used to express a movement away from the inside of something, typically so that it is outside of it or nearer the outside. This meaning is often conveyed when 'out' is used in phrasal verb constructions. In addition to this, 'out' can also add the ideas of exhaustion (as I will explain later), appearance (come out), separation (sort out) and exclusion (leave out).
So, now that we have covered the basics, let's move on to the different meanings of the phrasal verb 'run out'....
MEANING 1: Literal
CEFR Language Level | B1 - Intermediate |
Usage | Medium |
Where is it used? | Everywhere |
Potential synonyms | To escape, to flee, to pop to, to nip to, to dash |
Separable? | Sometimes |
For our first meaning of 'run out', we are going to keep to the literal meanings of the two words combined, which is 'to leave an interior space by running'. This could either be to enter into another interior space or to go to an exterior space.
Whilst this application can be used to talk about leaving a room, a building or other internal space quickly (i.e. by running and not walking), it is generally used by native speakers when referring to a sudden, dramatic or exciting exit. This could include an escape from somewhere, leaving a room quickly to vomit or chasing someone.
Example sentences....
Every day when I get home from work, my dog runs out of the house to greet me.
The schoolchildren ran out of the classroom as soon as the lesson finished.
People started running out of the sea when someone shouted "Shark!".
The firefighters ran out of the burning building just before the roof collapsed.
The little boy ran out of the kitchen when he saw a huge spider.
The passengers ran out of the airport terminal when the fire alarm sounded.
If you were paying attention to the table at the beginning of the section, you will have noticed that this application of 'run out' can sometimes be used separably. In order to do this, we require a direct object in the sentence (which we do not have in the sentences above).
Let's consider the next expression where we have a direct object between run and out. What do you think the meaning of the sentence could be?
John ran Roger out of the city.
In American English (and less so in British English), if we run someone out of a town or city, it means that we chase or force a person to leave a place, normally by threatening them. Other synonyms of this could be 'to drive away', 'to drive out' and 'to force out'. I guess in the past it was normal for people to chase after someone in order to make them leave their town or city, but nowadays (thankfully) it is not so common to use it in a literal sense. It is still used quite extensively in a figurative sense, though, so you may well come across it in movies and TV shows.
Example sentences....
The angry villagers ran the tax collector out of the village.
The company's CEO was effectively run out of town after it emerged that he had been stealing money from investors.
The politician was practically run out of town after the corruption scandal came to light.
BONUS: To run out to the shops
It is possible to use 'run out to somewhere' to express when we need to go somewhere and back quickly.
For example, imagine that you are preparing a dinner party for 5 guests and you realise that you have forgotten to buy dessert. You may then need to run out to the shop to buy one, or otherwise your poor dinner guests will miss out!
When used in this way, it does not mean that you are physically running to the shop, but rather that you are going there and back quickly (often in a car). It is also common for people to drop the word 'out' so that they simply 'run to somewhere'; however the meaning is the same either way.
This usage is perhaps more common in American English, with 'to pop to' or 'to nip to' being more common alternatives in British English (we love the verb 'to pop' in British English).
Example sentences....
He has just run out to the post office to post a letter, he will be back shortly.
I've forgotten to buy potatoes. I'm going to quickly run to the store to get some.
I've just got to run out to the supermarket to pick up a few things for dinner. I'll be back in twenty minutes.
MEANING 2: To have no more left of something
CEFR Language Level | B1 - Intermediate |
Usage | Common |
Where is it used? | Everywhere |
Potential synonyms | To sell out, to exhaust, to use up, to expire, to have no more left |
Separable? | No |
Our second meaning of 'run out' is the most common in everyday English and means 'to have no more left of something'. If you have ever heard 'run out' in a conversation between native speakers, it is likely that this is the meaning that they were expressing.
Nouns commonly used with this application:
|
If you run out of something, it means that you use the last of the supply of it and there is therefore no more left. It is really common to use this with physical items that we buy from a shop and typically always have in our homes e.g. bread and milk. However, it can also be used for many other things, both concrete and abstract, as I will explain.
You should note that we can use 'run out' on its own to describe when the supply of something is exhausted (e.g. the milk has run out). If you want to specify the thing that we do not have anymore, you require the additional preposition 'of', giving us the construction 'to run out of something' (e.g. we have run out of milk).
Since we regularly use a huge number of different things in our lives, the list of possible nouns that can be used with this phrasal verb is very long, but common examples include money, food, petrol / gas, fuel and water. Common nouns for abstract items that you may hear this being used with are energy, space, ideas, patience and options.
Example sentences....
We have run out of bread and milk.
Many supermarkets ran out of toilet paper at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
My printer stopped working because it ran out of ink.
Lucy wanted to bake cookies but realised she had run out of sugar.
After hiking for hours, Sharon and Tracey ran out of water and had to turn back.
We've tried almost everything and nothing seems to work; we are quickly running out of options!
By the 40th kilometre of the marathon, I had almost run out of energy.
I've run out of space on the page and I can't finish my drawing.
The teacher ran out of patience with her students and got very angry.
Another very common noun that we use with this phrasal verb is 'time', normally when we have a deadline or future point in time before which something must be completed. In these instances, there can often be an element of panic or stress involved for the speaker.
Based on this idea of time and deadlines, we can also use 'run out' as a synonym for the verb "to expire", i.e. to express when the validity of something ends. Typical situations for this would be with a passport or a driving licence, which expire or run out on set dates, which links back to the meaning of the verb 'to run' that I explained in the Basics section to mean 'to continue or to operate for a period of time'.
This phrasal verb can certainly be used in formal situations, however in very formal situations a different verb such as 'to exhaust' would definitely be more suitable.
Example sentences....
We ran out of time during the meeting, so we had to postpone the discussion until next week.
Roger is running out of money fast, so he needs to find a job quickly!
I've booked a holiday to Spain in April and I've just realised that my passport runs out in March! I hope I can renew it in time.
* Petrol in British English is 'gas' in American English
BONUS: To be out of something
In informal conversations, it is also extremely common to simply drop the word 'run' and use the informal construction 'to be out of something' as a synonym.
We need to stop, we are out of time.
I'm afraid we are out of bread, sir. The next delivery will be tomorrow.
A variation of this informal usage is 'to be all out of something'. Again, this is something that should only be used in informal conversations and situations:
Oh no, we are all out of coffee! I will run out to the shop to get some.
MEANING 3: To abandon someone
CEFR Language Level | C1 - Advanced |
Usage | Medium |
Where is it used? | Everywhere |
Potential synonyms | To abandon, to quit, to leave |
Separable? | No |
Our third and final meaning of 'run out' is a fairly informal one that means 'to abandon' and is normally used to describe when someone leaves a place or situation, often in a sudden way.
Nouns commonly used with this application:
|
For this application, we are replacing the extra preposition 'of' with 'on', giving us the construction 'to run out on someone / something'.
I imagine that you can probably guess, but this usage is often relates to dramatic and often traumatic life events for people, so hopefully it is not one that you will need in your day-to-day English. The general idea behind it is that of abandonment and it implies that the person running out is neglecting a responsibility or obligation. I would say that it is mainly used to talk about when someone suddenly leaves a relationship or a family. However, you may also come across it to describe less dramatic situations like abandoning a business partner or colleague in business English.
Example sentences....
My ex-husband ran out on me and our 6-month old baby.
Helen was so stressed that she ran out on her job and never went back.
Tony ran out on his wife and 5 children to start a new family with his lover.
He ran out on me last year and now he is begging me to take him back.
The business partner ran out on him just as the company was starting to struggle financially.
You can't just run out on your responsibilities whenever things become difficult.
IDIOM ALERT: To run out of steam
Before I finish the post, I want to make you aware of a very common expression featuring the phrasal verb 'run out': 'to run out of steam'. We use this nice little saying to express when the progress of something slows down or stops because we lose energy or interest in something.
The Scotland football team played brilliantly in the first half of the game but they ran out of steam in the second half.
I was doing really well with the pre-Christmas baking but I ran out of steam and ended up sitting down for a coffee.
QUESTIONS FOR WRITING & SPEAKING PRACTICE
Have you ever run out of things to say when answering a job interview question? Did you get the job?
Would you rather run out of gas for your heating on a cold day or electricity for your air conditioning on a hot day? Why?
When was the last time that you ran out of patience (became angry) with someone? What happened?
Do you think that we are running out of time to save the planet from climate change? How can we change the situation?
We have now reached the end of this post and I hope that you have found it useful and that it has helped you to understand how to use the phrasal verb 'run out' more confidently and naturally.
Feel free to leave any comments, feedback or your own sentences using 'run out' in the section below. Also, if you found the post useful, please like and share it on social media.
Do you want to improve your phrasal verb skills?Now that you have read the article, I hope you've learned something new. However, reading is only the first step to mastering phrasal verbs: the key is practice and repetition. That's why I've created a series of PDF workbooks with clear explanations, natural example sentences, exercises, speaking questions and answer keys. This will help you understand and remember common English phrasal verbs and use them confidently in real-life situations. Browse the workbooks here and start improving your phrasal verb skills today.... |
Thanks so much for reading and see you next time! James 😊
THE END
Thank you for yet another great post!
Very satisfying explanation. Keep up the good work bro.