1
: a final race, contest, or election to decide an earlier one that has not resulted in a decision in favor of any one competitor
2
: the portion of precipitation on land that ultimately reaches streams often with dissolved or suspended material
ran off; run off; running off; runs off
1
a
: to recite, compose, or produce rapidly
b
: to cause to be run or played to a finish
c
: to decide (a race) by a runoff
d
2
: to drain off : draw off
3
a
: to drive off (someone, such as a trespasser)
b
: to steal (animals, such as cattle) by driving away
see also run off with
Synonyms
Examples of runoff in a Sentence
Verb
the dog often ran off cats and other animals that had intruded upon his owner's property
their rebellious daughter's run off because she was disciplined again
Recent Examples on the Web
Mare Czinar, The Arizona Republic, 18 Apr. 2024
Samuel Beavers will resign from the Jefferson County Election Commission following Wednesday night’s meeting to certify the April 2 runoff elections for mayor and Ward 3 councilman.
—The Pine Bluff Commercial, arkansasonline.com, 9 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for runoff 
Noun
The dirt two-track twists through Mud Tanks Draw, an area of low ground between ridges where water runoff collects in a chain of pools, rivulets and mucky ponds.
—Mare Czinar, The Arizona Republic, 18 Apr. 2024
Samuel Beavers will resign from the Jefferson County Election Commission following Wednesday night’s meeting to certify the April 2 runoff elections for mayor and Ward 3 councilman.
—The Pine Bluff Commercial, arkansasonline.com, 9 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for runoff
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'runoff.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Dictionary Entries Near runoff
Cite this Entry
“Runoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/runoff. Accessed 3 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
runoff
1 of 2 noun
run·off
ˈrən-ˌȯf 
1
: a final contest or election to decide an earlier one that has not given the victory to one competitor
2
: water from rain or snow that flows over the surface of the ground and finally into streams
run off
2 of 2 verbˈrən-ˈȯf,
ˌrən-
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