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run down

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phrasal verb
Word Forms
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present tense
I/you/we/theyrun down
he/she/itruns down
present participlerunning down
past tenseran down
past participlerun down
Other entries for this word

Related dictionary definitions

 
  1. 1
    [transitive] to hit someone with your car and injure or kill them
    be/get run down:

    She got run down outside the school.

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of run down
  2. 2
    [transitive] to criticize someone, especially in an unfair way

    You're always running me down!

    run yourself down:

    You're a great Mom. Why do you run yourself down?

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of run down
  3. 3
    [intransitive/transitive] if something such as a machine or clock runs down, or if you run it down, it gradually stops working because it has no power

    Switch your headlights off, or you'll run the battery down.

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of run down
  4. 4
    [transitive] run down something to quickly read everything on a list

    I'll just run down the list and see if we've forgotten anything.

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of run down
  6. 6
    run someone down to find someone after searching for them for a long time

    Police eventually ran him down in woods north of the city.

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of run down
See also

This is the American English definition of run down. View British English definition of run down.

Change your default dictionary and thesaurus to British English.

 
See also main entry: run

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