| Phrasal verb | Main meaning |
|---|---|
run into [rʌn ˈɪntuː] | meet someone unexpectedly |
Other meanings
- collide with (hit)
- encounter/experience (problems, difficulties)
- reach/amount to (large numbers or sums)
- incur/accumulate (debt, losses)
- continue into/extend into (a time period)
Example Sentences Using the Phrasal Verb "run into"
- I ran into Emma at the supermarket.
- The cyclist ran into a parked car.
- We ran into some technical problems during testing.
- Costs could run into the millions.
- Many families ran into debt after the crisis.
- The meeting ran into the afternoon.
Features of Using "run into"
Separability:Inseparable
Transitivity:Transitive
Level:B1
Inseparable prepositional phrasal verb: the object follows “into” (run into them, not run them into). With amounts/time, common collocations are costs/fees/figures/time + run into. Don’t confuse run into (“meet by chance / collide / amount to…”) with “run in to” (go inside in order to do something).
Other phrasal verbs with the verb run
run out
to use all of something and have none left
run away
escape by running
run behind
to be late or delayed
run through
to go over or rehearse something quickly
run across
to find something or someone by chance
🔗 Learn more about the irregular verb run, including its forms and usage.