Definition

1. Verb:
   • To meet someone unexpectedly or by chance: To encounter a person without planning to do so.
   • To collide with or hit something: To crash into or make sudden physical contact with an object.
   • To encounter difficulties or problems: To begin to experience trouble or complications, often of a specified kind.
   • To reach a particular amount or level: To extend or accumulate to a certain number or figure.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • I ran into my old teacher at the grocery store yesterday. (I met my old teacher by chance.)
  • The car ran into a lamppost during the storm. (The car collided with a lamppost.)
  • Their plans ran into unexpected legal obstacles. (Their plans encountered unexpected legal problems.)
  • The costs for the renovation could run into thousands of dollars. (The costs could reach the amount of thousands of dollars.)

Advanced Usage

• "run into a brick wall": To encounter an insurmountable obstacle or complete lack of progress.
  • Our research ran into a brick wall when the funding was cut.
• "run into the ground": To overuse something to the point of ruining it, or to manage something very poorly.
  • He ran the company into the ground with his bad decisions. (Note: This is a separable phrasal verb, run [something] into the ground).

Variants and Related Words

• Run-in (noun): A disagreement, argument, or confrontation.
  • He had a run-in with his neighbor over the property line.
• Run across (phrasal verb): To find or meet someone or something by chance. (Synonymous with 'run into' for the 'meet' meaning).
  • I ran across this interesting article online.

Synonyms

• Encounter: To meet, especially unexpectedly.
• Collide with: To crash into.
• Bump into: To meet by chance or to hit lightly. (Often used for both social and physical collisions).
• Amount to: To total or reach a sum.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Run up against: To be faced with or confronted by a problem or difficulty.
  • We ran up against some strong opposition to the new policy.
• Run over: To hit with a vehicle; to review quickly.
  • The driver didn't see the dog and ran over it. (Collision meaning).

Related Idioms

• Run into the sand: To gradually lose momentum and fail.
  • The peace talks eventually ran into the sand.
• Run into debt: To accumulate debt.
  • After losing his job, he quickly ran into debt.

Verb

1. come together
   • I'll probably see you at the meeting
   • How nice to see you again!
2. hit against; come into sudden contact with
   • The car hit a tree
   • He struck the table with his elbow
3. collide violently with an obstacle
   • I ran into the telephone pole
4. be beset by
   • The project ran into numerous financial difficulties