run up
To run (towards someone or something); to hasten to a destination.
Seen in the wild
I've even heard some real crazy stories from handlers where parents even allowed or encouraged their small children to run up and pet the handler's service dogs without permission which is such a stupid thing to do.
I see we’ve jumped to ‘the Greens have a serious a/s problem’ and ‘Polanski hasn’t handled it well’ in the space of a one week run up to local elections. A real speed run considering it took idk a couple of years to g…
If you ever do run up against death or dying in your area we are interdisciplinary and love to hear other perspectives on the topic!
I cannot believe a journalist has the audacity to write about a popular party leader in the run up to elections. What next @jamesrball.com? Writing about political events for money?
In that run up, perhaps mention of the #faragecamps proposed by Reform would seem logical, @lbc.co.uk
Definitions
(with to) To approach (an event or point in time).
Run up means: To approach (an event or point in time).. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
run up means: To approach (an event or point in time).. Register: neutral, standard English. A common learner mistake is using the word in a register it does not fit, or assuming a single global meaning; native speakers immediately notice when slang appears in formal contexts, so always check the surrounding register before producing it yourself. A formal-English equivalent (a synonym or descriptive phrase) is usually safer in writing. When in doubt, paraphrase rather than reuse the slang form.
“I've even heard some real crazy stories from handlers where parents even allowed or encouraged their small children to run up and pet the handler's service dogs without permission which is such a stupid thing to do.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“I see we’ve jumped to ‘the Greens have a serious a/s problem’ and ‘Polanski hasn’t handled it well’ in the space of a one week run up to local elections. A real speed run considering it took idk a couple of years to get that to stick to Corbyn.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“If you ever do run up against death or dying in your area we are interdisciplinary and love to hear other perspectives on the topic!”
— Bluesky· May 2026“I cannot believe a journalist has the audacity to write about a popular party leader in the run up to elections. What next @jamesrball.com? Writing about political events for money?”
— Bluesky· May 2026“In that run up, perhaps mention of the #faragecamps proposed by Reform would seem logical, @lbc.co.uk”
— Bluesky· May 2026
Comments
(transitive) To take to a destination or before an authority.
We are putting on lots of special attractions as we run up to Christmas.
“They never seem to have real solutions to problems and think if they just inflict cruelty, it will somehow fix it. All this will do is run up a bill they wouldnt be able to afford and make the problem worse.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“In the run up to Bristol Artist's Book Event over Fri 26 - Sat 27 June we have a one-day class Suminagashi Paper Marbling on Thursday 25 June 2026 here in Bristol with visiting US artist Jeff Rathermel. More info and booking link at: cfpr.uwe.ac.uk/courses/cpd/”
— Bluesky· May 2026“a bunch of my friends made this awesome game. It's out in Early Access today. wishlist or buy it here, and help them run up the numbers - store.steampowered.com/app/3404260/...”
— Bluesky· May 2026“I'm concerned that all of this is going to lead to violence. I think we're in the run up to an all out civil war. 😞🙏🇺🇸”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Lots of Euro cinema news coming out in the run up to Cannes, and I will be re-posting some, including this bit of news of another sequel to the remakes of Perfect Strangers. This one's from Germany, but there is also one coming out this year in Spain. variety.com/2026/film/gl...”
— Bluesky· May 2026
Comments
Show 1 more dictionary-style sense (imported)
To run (towards someone or something); to hasten to a destination.
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