# run rampant

idiom

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

## Meaning

To go unchecked or without control; to be wild or excessive.

## Examples

- Weeds run rampant in the garden if you never pull them.
- The manager worried that rumors would run rampant through the office before the official announcement.
- Without any clear leadership or established rules, confusion and disorder began to run rampant throughout the entire organization.

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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.