run by + person
Presenting an idea for approval
Run something by someone means discuss it briefly.
Can I run this by you?
Run with different prepositions
Run forms many phrasal and prepositional combinations. The meaning changes depending on the preposition used.
Quick answer
How do these run combinations differ?
Run by can mean manage or quickly discuss. Run for means compete for a position. Run out means have no more left. Run on can mean continue too long, and run into can mean meet or collide with.
She runs the company by herself.
He plans to run for mayor.
We have run out of coffee.
I ran into an old friend yesterday.
He plans to run for mayor.
We have run out of coffee.
I ran into an old friend yesterday.
Choose the pattern by meaning
These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.
run for + position
Competing in an election
Run for is used in political and organisational elections.
She will run for class president.
run out of + thing
Having nothing left
Run out of means use all of something.
They ran out of fuel.
run into + person or object
Meeting or colliding unexpectedly
Run into can describe accidental meetings or physical collisions.
I ran into my teacher downtown.
run on
Continuing too long
Run on means continue beyond the expected time.
The meeting ran on for hours.
See the difference in context
The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.
Construction
Example
Meaning
run by
I need to run this by my manager.
briefly discuss or check
run for
She is running for office.
compete in an election
run out of
We ran out of milk.
have nothing left
run on
The speech ran on too long.
continue excessively
run into
He ran into a tree.
collide with or meet unexpectedly
Common mistakes
Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.
Omitting of after run out
The usual structure is run out of plus a noun.
✕ We ran out money. ✓ We ran out of money.Confusing run by with manage
Run by someone means discuss with them, not manage them.
✓ She ran the idea by her colleague.Using run into for planned meetings
Run into usually suggests something accidental.
✓ I met my professor at the conference.Quick practice
Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.
1. They ran ___ gas on the highway.
2. She wants to run ___ mayor next year.
3. I ran ___ an old classmate at the station.
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Frequently asked questions
What does run something by someone mean?
It means to present an idea briefly for comment or approval.
Can run into mean collide?
Yes. It can describe both accidental meetings and physical collisions.
Is run on always negative?
Often yes. It usually suggests something continued longer than expected.
Related preposition guides
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