run off

run someone or something off (of) something and run someone or something off

to drive someone or something off something. (Of is usually retained before pronouns.) Go out and run those dogs off the lawn. Go run off the dogs from the lawn.

See also: run

run something off 

1. to get rid of something, such as fat or energy, by running. The little boys are very excited. Send them outside to run it off. They need to run off their energy.

2. to duplicate something, using a mechanical duplicating machine. If the master copy is ready, I will run some other copies off. I'll run off some more copies.

See also: run

run off 

1. to flee. The children rang our doorbell and then ran off. They ran off as fast as they could.

2. to have diarrhea. He said he was running off all night. One of the children was running off and had to stay home from school.

3. [for a fluid] to drain away from a flat area. By noon, all the rainwater had run off the playground.

See also: run

run off (with someone)

to run away with someone, as in an elopement. Tom ran off with Ann. Tom and Ann ran off and got married.

See also: run

run off something

to drive or travel off something, such as rails, tracks, a road, etc. The train ran off its rails and piled up in a cornfield. We almost ran off the road during the storm.

See also: run

---

run somebody off also run off somebody

to force someone to leave suddenly Barlow wouldn't leave, so she ran him off by threatening to call the police. Dad tried to run off some people who were camping on our land, but they wouldn't leave.

See also: run

run off

to leave suddenly She punched me in the shoulder and ran off.

See also: run

run off something also run something off

to make electronic or print copies of something I'll just run these copies off before the meeting starts. He ran off 50 copies of the cassette and mailed them to agents.

See also: run

run off something

to score points quickly in a competition Iowa ran off 12 points and took the lead.

See also: run