Idioms are phrases or expressions with special meanings that are different from the words in them. They make language more fun and colorful. Some idioms talk about running, but they aren’t always about moving fast. Instead, they show ideas like working hard, being busy, or trying to achieve something.
Learning idioms helps us understand language better and communicate in interesting ways. This article will focus on idioms connected to running. You’ll also find an exercise to help you practice using these phrases. By the end, you’ll know some fun and useful expressions to use in everyday life.
Idioms for Running
1. Run out of steam
Meaning: To lose energy or motivation.
In a Sentence: By the afternoon, I ran out of steam and couldn’t finish my homework. / The team ran out of steam during the last quarter of the basketball game.
Other Ways to Say: Lose momentum, Get tired
2. Hit the ground running
Meaning: To start something with energy and enthusiasm.
In a Sentence: She hit the ground running on her first day at the new school. / We hit the ground running when the bell rang for recess.
Other Ways to Say: Start strong, Begin energetically
3. Running on empty
Meaning: To feel very tired and have little energy left.
In a Sentence: After studying all night, I was running on empty during the test. / Mom looked like she was running on empty after cleaning the house all day.
Other Ways to Say: Exhausted, Out of energy
4. Run the show
Meaning: To take charge or be in control.
In a Sentence: Sarah ran the show at the school play, organizing everyone perfectly. / My dad likes to run the show when we plan family vacations.
Other Ways to Say: Be the boss, Take the lead
5. A run for your money
Meaning: To face a tough challenge or competition.
In a Sentence: Our soccer team gave the champions a run for their money. / That spelling bee sure gave me a run for my money!
Other Ways to Say: A tough competition, A real challenge
6. In the long run
Meaning: Over a long time.
In a Sentence: Studying every day will help you in the long run. / Eating healthy food is better for you in the long run.
Other Ways to Say: Over time, Eventually
7. Run circles around
Meaning: To do something much better than someone else.
In a Sentence: James can run circles around me when it comes to math. / She ran circles around the competition in the art contest.
Other Ways to Say: Be much better, Outperform
8. Run into trouble
Meaning: To face a problem or difficulty.
In a Sentence: We ran into trouble when we forgot our tickets for the concert. / He ran into trouble with his science project when his experiment didn’t work.
Other Ways to Say: Get into a problem, Face a difficulty
9. Off and running
Meaning: To make a good start.
In a Sentence: The school year is off and running, and I already like my new teacher. / We’re off and running with the new club project!
Other Ways to Say: Start well, Make Progress
10. Run its course
Meaning: To come to a natural end.
In a Sentence: The flu has to run its course before you feel better. / The meeting ran its course and ended after two hours.
Other Ways to Say: End naturally, Finish on its own
11. Run for cover
Meaning: To seek protection or avoid danger.
In a Sentence: We ran for cover when it started raining heavily. / The kids ran for cover when the sprinklers came on unexpectedly.
Other Ways to Say: Hide, Take shelter
12. Run a tight ship
Meaning: To manage something strictly and efficiently.
In a Sentence: Our teacher runs a tight ship, so we always follow the rules. / Dad runs a tight ship when it comes to cleaning the garage.
Other Ways to Say: Be very organized, Keep control
13. Run-of-the-mill
Meaning: Ordinary or not special.
In a Sentence: The movie was just a run-of-the-mill comedy, nothing great. / My lunch was a run-of-the-mill sandwich, but it was still tasty.
Other Ways to Say: Average, Plain
14. Run through something
Meaning: To review or practice something quickly.
In a Sentence: Let’s run through the spelling list one more time before the quiz. / We need to run through the rules of the game before we start.
Other Ways to Say: Go over, Review
15. Run amok
Meaning: To act wild or out of control.
In a Sentence: The kids ran amok during the birthday party. / The dog ran amok when it saw the squirrels in the yard.
Other Ways to Say: Go wild, Behave recklessly
16. Run out of time
Meaning: To not have enough time to finish something.
In a Sentence: I ran out of time before I could complete my history homework. / We ran out of time to bake the cookies before the party started.
Other Ways to Say: Time’s up, No time left
17. Make a run for it
Meaning: To escape or leave quickly.
In a Sentence: When the bell rang, we made a run for it to be first in the lunch line. / The cat made a run for it when we tried to put it in the carrier.
Other Ways to Say: Dash away, Escape
18. Run errands
Meaning: To do small tasks or chores outside the house.
In a Sentence: I went with my mom to run errands like grocery shopping and picking up mail. / Dad had to run errands before we could go to the park.
Other Ways to Say: Do chores, Complete tasks
19. Run off at the mouth
Meaning: To talk too much or without thinking.
In a Sentence: He ran off at the mouth during class and got in trouble. / My little brother runs off at the mouth when he’s excited.
Other Ways to Say: Talk endlessly, Ramble
20. Run the risk
Meaning: To take a chance that something bad might happen.
In a Sentence: If you don’t study, you run the risk of failing the test. / She ran the risk of being late by staying up too late last night.
Other Ways to Say: Take a chance, Face the danger
21. Run across
Meaning: To find or meet someone or something by chance.
In a Sentence: I ran across my old friend at the library. / We ran across some interesting books at the thrift store.
Other Ways to Say: Come across, Bump into
22. Run deep
Meaning: To have strong feelings or roots.
In a Sentence: Her love for music runs deep in her family. / Their friendship runs deep after so many years.
Other Ways to Say: Be strong, Be deep-rooted
23. Run wild
Meaning: To behave freely or without control.
In a Sentence: The kids ran wild at the playground after school. / When the puppy was let out of the house, it ran wild in the yard.
Other Ways to Say: Go free, Act without limits
24. Run hot and cold
Meaning: To change moods or opinions often.
In a Sentence: She runs hot and cold about joining the soccer team. / His feelings about moving to a new city ran hot and cold.
Other Ways to Say: Be unsure, Change opinions
25. Run like the wind
Meaning: To move very quickly.
In a Sentence: He ran like the wind to catch the bus. / The deer ran like the wind when it heard a noise in the woods.
Other Ways to Say: Move fast, Dash quickly
Exercise to practice
- After a long day at school, I felt like I was ________ on empty during soccer practice.
- The teacher said the math contest would help us in the long ________.
- When the rain started pouring, we had to ________ for cover under the bus stop.
- My cousin can run ________ around me when it comes to solving puzzles.
- We had to ________ through the rules of the science fair before the event began.
- The kids went to the park and ran ________ on the playground for hours.
- If you don’t do your homework, you run the ________ of failing the class.
- My dad had a lot of errands to ________ before we could go to the baseball game.
- She hit the ground ________ on her first day as class president.
- During the big project, the team ran into ________ with their computers crashing.
Answers
- empty
- run
- run
- circles
- run
- wild
- risk
- run
- running
- trouble
Conclusion
Idioms about running are fun and useful in daily conversations. They help us describe situations in creative ways. By practicing these idioms, you can make your language more interesting and easier to understand. Keep using what you’ve learned, and soon these phrases will feel natural.