runoff
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
a second round of voting that happens when no one wins enough votes the first time.
a final round of an election held when no candidate achieves the required majority in the initial ballot.
Simple“Since neither candidate got over fifty percent of the vote, they will have a runoff next month.”
In context“The political analysts predicted a tight runoff after the third-party candidate siphoned off enough votes to prevent a first-round victory.”
UsageOften used as a modifier, as in 'runoff election'.
Synonymssecond ballotdeciding vote - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
water from rain or melting snow that flows over the land into rivers instead of going into the ground.
the portion of precipitation that drains from a land area into surface water systems rather than being absorbed into the soil.
Simple“Heavy rain caused agricultural runoff to flow from the farms into the local lake.”
In context“Environmental scientists monitored the chemical levels in the urban runoff to determine the impact of the new industrial park on the local watershed.”
Antonyms - 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
an extra race or match held to decide a winner when there is a tie.
an additional competition or heat held to determine a winner among contestants who finished with equal scores or times.
Simple“The two runners had the exact same time, so they had to compete in a runoff for the gold medal.”
In context“After three rounds of the tournament ended in a stalemate, the officials organized a sudden-death runoff to satisfy the spectators and crown a champion.”
Synonymstie breakerplay off
Deverbal from run off.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.