# run riot

idiom

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

## Meaning

To act in an uncontrolled, unbridled manner.

## Examples

- The children ran riot in the garden all afternoon.
- Without a teacher in the classroom, the students began to run riot and ignore all the rules.
- As the security guards lost control of the crowd, the protestors began to run riot through the city streets, causing chaos in their wake.

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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.