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run-in

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run-in¹

  • /ˈɹʌnˌɪn/

Where it comes from

Derived from the verb run into.

For the meaning "end-phase", it presumably comes a marathon race, where in the final part the runners run into the stadium and complete a lap.

noun run-ins

  1. An encounter; a scrape or brush, especially one involving trouble or difficulty. During that time he had two more run-ins with the law. One involved the sale of stolen property. The other was for a series of hot checks.
  2. The end-phase of a competition etc. Yahoo Sport's Leicester City blogger Helen Nutter gets ready for the Premier League run-in knowing her side - incredibly - still have a great chance of being crowned champions
  3. A sudden compression between two coupled railcars when the hinder one is moving faster than the fore one. Brake pipe pressure reduction rates of over 30 psi/sec lasting for about 15 milliseconds were created by harsh slack run-ins.

run-in²

  • /ˈɹʌnˌɪn/

Where it comes from

Derived from the verb run in.

adjective more run-in · most run-in

  1. adjective, error misspelling, not comparable, participle, usually (not comparable) Having been run in before or behind previous text. These headings are of the run-in type because a free-hanging style would just be a waste of column inches.

    Opposite: free-hanging

  2. adjective, error misspelling, not comparable, participle, usually (sometimes comparable) Having been run in to seat the parts. A well run-in engine is likelier to consume less crankcase oil over the course of its working life.

    Similar: broken in

Translations

Every language

noun an encounter; a scrape or brush

Españolencontronazo, roce
Русскийсты́чка stýčka

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Cite this
MLA

"run-in." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/run-in. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

run-in. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/run-in

Chicago

"run-in." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/run-in.

BibTeX
@misc{run_in_2026,
  title = {run-in},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/run-in},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}