To have no more of something left, or to leave a place by running
When you have nothing left of something, like when there's no more milk in the fridge
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
To have no more of something left because it has all been used
"We've run out of coffee — can you pick some up on your way home?"
"We're running out of time."
— Common political phrase; notably used by Barack Obama in climate speeches, widely reported 2009–2016
To leave a place quickly by running
"She ran out of the building when the fire alarm went off."
(Cricket) To dismiss a batsman by breaking the wicket while they are running between wickets
"The fielder ran him out with a direct throw from the boundary."
To run out of a place — the physical sense is transparent; the 'exhaust a supply' sense is a natural extension
When you have nothing left of something, like when there's no more milk in the fridge
Extremely common in everyday English. Almost always followed by 'of' when specifying what has been exhausted. In cricket, to 'run out' a batsman means to dismiss them while running.
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Listen to native speakers using "run out" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
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