run // verb, noun

■ verb (running, ran // run)

1 [+ obj]

to be in charge of a business, etc:

to run a hotel/factory/store

He has no idea how to run a business.

The shareholders want more say in how the company is run.

We hired an agency to run our ad campaign.

a badly/well-run company

state-run industries

2 [+ obj]

to make a service, a course of study, etc. available to people:

Training courses are run by various organizations.

Do you run workshops on presentation and interview skills?

SYN ORGANIZE

3 [+ obj or no obj]

(about a machine, a vehicle, a computer, software, etc.) to operate or work; to make sth do this:

The software is designed to run on different operating systems.

Press this key to run the program.

It's cheaper to keep the machines running than to turn them off.

The van runs on diesel.

The modem must be run off a mains transformer.

This hardware has been designed to run a wide range of software.

4 [no obj] (used with a preposition or an adjective)

to be at or near a particular level:

Inflation was running at 26%.

Sales have been running below last year's levels.

Don't let the hard disk run low on space.

Expectations for the new technology were running high.

⇨ RUN

5 [no obj]

to operate or be valid for a particular period of time:

The contract will run for 5 years.

The lease on the building only has a year left to run.

6 [+ obj or no obj]

to show or publish advertisements, stories, television programmes, etc.; to be shown or published:

The company is running a series of ads on national TV.

The magazine will run more in-depth news.

The TV programme ran on 2 channels twice a week.

7 [+ obj] run a deficit/surplus

to have or keep a debt/an extra amount of money:

The federal government is likely to run a surplus of $150 billion.

The US has run a current account deficit for years.

8 [+ obj] run a test/check (on sth)

to do a test/check on sth:

This program allows you to run tests on your PC to see how it performs.

9 [+ obj]

to own and use a vehicle or machine:

I can't afford to run a car on my salary.

10 [no obj] (used with an adverb or a preposition) (usually used in the continuous tenses)

to happen in the way mentioned or at the time mentioned:

The business is now running smoothly.

None of the software projects ran according to schedule.

IDIOMS

run a/the risk of (doing) sth

to be or put yourself in a situation in which sth bad could happen to you:

Retailers run the risk of being left with goods they cannot sell.

A business runs the risk of legal action if it makes misleading claims about its products.

run late (used especially in the continuous tenses)

to do things after the time you planned:

I'm running late for the meeting.

run out of time

to have no more time available:

They're running out of time to find a buyer.

run short; run short (of sth)

if sth runs short or you run short of sth there is very little left:

Time is running short.

The business has run short of cash.

run a tight ship

to organize sth in a very efficient way, controlling other people very closely:

She was known for running a tight ship in her previous post.

BRICK, CONTROL noun, FOOT noun, GROUND noun, GROUND noun, UP adj

PHRASAL VERBS

run back over sth

to discuss or consider sth again:

I'll run back over the procedure once again.

SYN REVIEW

run sth by/past sb (informal)

to show sb sth or tell sb about an idea in order to see their reaction to it:

Run that past me again.

run down; run sth down

1

to lose power or stop working; to make sth do this:

The battery has run down.

2

to gradually stop working or become smaller in size or number; to make sth do this:

British manufacturing industry has been running down for years.

The company is running down its sales force.

RUNDOWN

run into sth

1

to experience difficulties, etc:

Be careful not to run into debt.

to run into danger/difficulties/trouble

The company has run into problems it didn't expect.

2

to reach a particular level or amount:

Her income runs into six figures

(= is more than $100 000, etc.).

run sth off

to copy sth on a machine:

Could you run off twenty copies of the agenda?

PHOTOCOPY

run on

to continue without stopping; to continue longer than is necessary or expected:

The meeting will finish promptly-I don't want it to run on.

run out

1

if a supply of sth runs out, it is used up or finished:

The money has run out.

Time is running out for the company to find a buyer.

2

if an agreement or a document runs out, it becomes no longer valid

SYN EXPIRE

run out (of sth)

to use up or finish a supply of sth:

We ran out of fuel.

The company could run out of cash.

run over sth

to read through or practise sth quickly:

She ran over her notes before giving the lecture.

run sth past sb

= RUN STH BY/PAST SB

run through sth

1

to discuss, repeat or read sth quickly:

Could we run through your proposals once again?

He ran through the names on the list.

2

to use up or spend money carelessly:

She had run through the money she had saved in six months.

run to sth

to be of a particular size or amount:

Building costs may run to $1 million.

The book runs to nearly 800 pages.

run up

to increase:

Product prices have run up faster than expected.

Interest rates could easily run up another percentage point.

run sth up

to allow a bill, debt, etc. to reach a large total:

The company ran up a debt of 26 billion euros.

Some banks have run up huge losses.

run with sth

to accept or start to use a particular idea or method:

OK, let's run with Jan's suggestion.

■ noun

BANK RUN, BEAR RUN, BULL RUN, CHEQUE RUN, LONG RUN, LONG-RUN, SHORT RUN, SPLIT RUN, TEST RUN

1 [C]

a period when good or bad things happen; a series of successes or failures:

The company has enjoyed a run of good luck.

We've had a run of negative results.

2 (Manufacturing ) [C]

the amount of a product that a company decides to make at one time:

Our first production run was only 400 units.

The print run of 6 000 copies soon sold out.

3 (Economics ) [C, usually sing.] a run on the dollar, yen, etc.

a situation when many people suddenly sell a currency and the value of the money falls:

Analysts fear a possible run on the dollar.

The run on gold has frightened investors.

Less creditworthy countries often see a run on their currencies.

4 (Commerce ) [C, usually sing.] a run on sth

a situation when many people suddenly want to buy sth, often because they are afraid there may not be enough:

There has been a run on this particular model and we are now out of stock.

5 (Economics ) [C, usually sing.] a run on a bank, etc.

a time when too many people want to take their money out of the banks at the same time, so the banks cannot pay them all:

The financial crisis started a run on the banks.

measures to protect small banks from a run on deposits

6 (Finance ) [C, usually sing.]

a situation when many people want to buy shares, bonds, property, etc. and prices go up:

The market had a tremendous run.

The run in housing has been aided by low mortgage rates.

The run looks set to end soon.

LONG RUN, SHORT RUN

• drug
• drugmaker
• drugstore
• drum
• drum-buffer-rope
• dry
• dry cargo
• dry goods
• dry lease
• dry spell
• DSL
• DSR
• DSS
• DTC
• DTI
• DTP
• dual
• dual career
• dual currency
• dual economy
• dual-listed company
• dual listing
• dual pricing
• dual-purpose
• dual sourcing