Phrasal verb
run out
Irregular verb
Forms
Infinitive
run out
Past
ran out
Past participle
run out
Definition
phrasal verb. to use all of something so that there is none left. You use this when a supply of food, money, or time finishes.
phrasal verb. to exhaust a supply of something or to reach the end of a period of validity. The verb functions intransitively when the subject is the supply itself, such as time or a resource.
Examples
“We need to go shopping because the milk has run out.”
“I was in the middle of writing my essay when the battery on my laptop ran out.”
“The legal team warned that if the contract were allowed to run out without a renewal clause, the company would lose its primary distribution rights.”
Examples
simple
“We need to go shopping because the milk has run out.”
contextual
“I was in the middle of writing my essay when the battery on my laptop ran out.”
complex
“The legal team warned that if the contract were allowed to run out without a renewal clause, the company would lose its primary distribution rights.”
Usage
When you want to mention the item that is finished, you must add 'of' after the phrase.
Teaching tip
Distinguish between the intransitive 'the time ran out' and the transitive-like 'we ran out of time' to help students master the prepositional requirement.
Pitfall
We ran out the coffee.
We ran out of coffee.
When followed by an object, the phrase requires the preposition 'of' to connect the verb to the noun.
Phrasal verb
Particles
out
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
run + out
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
- Frequency
- Very common
- Level
- B1 · Intermediate
- Updated
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