| read up on + | research a topic for a reason | I need to read up on the company before I go on the job interview. |
| ring * up | telephone | Jack rung me up last night at 3:00 in the morning. |
| rule * out + | eliminate | I wouldn’t rule out the possibility of moving to another country if I get a good job offer. |
| run across + | find or meet unexpectedly | I ran across some old photos while I was cleaning my house. |
| run against + | compete in an election | Gore ran against Bush in the 2000 elections in the U.S.A. |
| run away | leave home permanently before you are a legal adult | The child ran away because her parents beat her. |
| run away from + | escape from | The child ran away from its parents. |
| run * down | trace | Have you run down those phone numbers I asked for last week? |
| run * down | criticize | My boss runs everyone down. |
| run * down | hit with a car | My dog was run down by a bus. |
| run down | loose power, be very tired | You need to wind your watch so it doesn’t run down. |
| run for + | campaign for a government position | Gore is running for president of the U.S.A. |
| run into + | meet unexpectedly | I ran into my English teacher at the movies last night. She’s so nice! |
| run * off + | make leave | The new government is trying to run the drug traffickers off. |
| run * off | reproduce (photocopies) | Would you mind running off 10 copies of this document for me? |
| run off | leave quickly | Why did you run off after the party? |
| run off | waste water | You shouldn’t swim where the sewage runs off into the ocean. |
| run out of + | not have any more of something | We ran out of milk this morning, so we need to go to the store. |
