if a business or organization runs down, or if someone runs it down, it gradually becomes smaller
if something such as a machine or clock runs down, or if you run it down, it gradually stops working because it has no power
to criticize someone, especially in an unfair way
to find someone after searching for them for a long time
to hit someone with your car and injure or kill them
to quickly read everything on a list
About run-down, dirty, unswept rooms in damp, unpleasant houses, in which she had lost the occasional battle on a greasy sofa.
Also, a perfect jumping-off point for a run down the English Channel.
Emerald stared in wonder at the shabby, run-down room, for it was more than she ever expected.
Hugging the pillow she lay looking towards the window at the blackness of the sky and the tears began to run down her cheeks.
I’ll just run down the list and see if we’ve forgotten anything.
Neeta seemed delighted with this turn of events, giggling and leading the way to the run-down encampment.
Police eventually ran him down in woods north of the city.
Rae scrambled out after him and followed him into a run-down coffee shop.
She got run down outside school.
She had wasted much of the morning, trying to run down Yeager's tantalizing clue about the other two related cases.
Switch your headlights off, or you’ll run the battery down.
The decision was taken to let the steel industry run down.
There's a lovely old house in the dock area, very sinister and run down, very photogenic.
They’ve been running the factory down for the last five years.
You’re a brilliant mother. Why do you run yourself down?
You’re always running me down!
runs down
running down
ran down
There is no origin for this phrasal verb
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