# run across

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/run-across
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To find or discover by chance; to come across.

## Examples

- I often run across old friends at the grocery store.
- While I was cleaning out the attic, I happened to run across some old photographs from my childhood.
- During his extensive research in the archives, the historian unexpectedly ran across a series of letters that challenged his previous assumptions about the era.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.