1 B2 idiomatic neutral
to steal something and escape with it
"A thief ran away with her handbag while she was paying."
inseparable
run away with
B2 neutral inseparable transitive
to steal and leave with something, or for feelings or imagination to take control
In plain English
to take something and go away, or to let your feelings control you too much
What does "run away with" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic neutral
for feelings, enthusiasm, or imagination to control someone's thinking too much
"Don't let your imagination run away with you before we have the facts."
“
Don't let your imagination run away with you.
— Common public phrase; exact source not reliably recalled
inseparable
3 C1 idiomatic informal
to win something very easily or by a large amount
"Their team ran away with the championship this year."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
to run off while carrying something or someone
Actually means
to take something and go away, or to let your feelings control you too much
Usage tip
Several distinct senses. The emotional sense is common in speech: 'Don't let your imagination run away with you.'
Words that pair with "run away with"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
imagination emotions idea prize money match
How to conjugate "run away with"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
run away with
I/you/we/they
3rd person
runs away with
he/she/it
Past simple
ran away with
yesterday
Past participle
run away with
have + pp
-ing form
running away with
continuous
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