What Does Run Away Mean?
Run away means to leave a place or a person quickly, often to escape from something. It does not always mean you move your legs fast.
- Escape from danger or trouble: go away quickly.
- Leave home suddenly: go without telling anyone.
The rabbit ran away from the dog.
The little goat ran away from the farm.
Don't run away from your problems.
So run away is mainly about the leaving. The "run" is the speed and urgency of it.
🗣️ Natural Examples
Escape from danger:
The children ran away when the thunder started.
The mouse ran away from the cat.
Don't run away from the bee. Stay still.
Leave a place:
The puppy ran away and hid under the bed.
The pony ran away from the field.
In the story, the boy runs away to sea.
✂️ Can You Separate It?
No. Run away has no object, so it is inseparable. If you want to say what you escape from, add from.
✅ The cat ran away from the dog.
❌ The cat ran away the dog.
❌ The cat ran the dog away.
You can also use run away with for taking something. In stories, the cow ran away with the spoon.
🛠️ How to Use It
- Past tense: ran away. Past participle: run away. -ing form: running away.
- From a place or person: run away from home, run away from the bear.
- A problem: Running away won't fix it.
- Noun: a runaway is a person or an animal that ran away, such as a runaway horse.
- As an adjective: a runaway train is one that is out of control.
⚠️ Common Mistakes
Use from, not of.
❌ The cat ran away of the dog.
✅ The cat ran away from the dog.
Do not use an object after away.
❌ The boy ran away the school.
✅ The boy ran away from the school.
Run away is not run out.
❌ I ran away of milk. (when you mean you have none left)
✅ We ran out of milk.
💬 In a Conversation
Sam: I saw a runaway sheep this morning.
Mia: Where did it go?
Sam: It ran away from the farm and into the bakery.
Mia: Was it a baa-ker?
Sam: No. It was a sheep. It ran away again.
💡 The OddLingo Trick
Look at the second word: away. The action is always moving away from something, so there is always a "from".
When you cannot find the missing word, ask: "away from what?" That is why run away from is the full phrase.