run into

Short definition: The phrase run into means to meet someone unexpectedly, or to encounter a problem or difficulty without planning to.

Looking for a clear and natural explanation of the phrasal verb run into? This is a very common expression in English and it can describe both physical and unexpected situations. It may refer to accidentally meeting someone, physically hitting something, or encountering a problem. Because it often suggests something unplanned, context is important to understand the exact meaning. Below are detailed meanings with realistic examples so you can clearly understand how run into works in daily English.

run into v. /ˌrʌn ˈɪntuː/

Forms: run into, runs into, ran into, run into, running into
Related: encounter v., collide v., meet v., face v.
Syllable: run-in-to

  1. (Verb) To meet someone unexpectedly.

    To run into someone most commonly means meeting them by chance. It usually happens unexpectedly, without planning. This meaning is very common in casual conversation.

    I ran into my old teacher at the supermarket yesterday.
    She ran into a friend from college while traveling abroad.
    You never know who you might run into in a small town.

    Synonyms: bump into, encounter, meet by chance, come across, stumble upon, run across, meet unexpectedly, cross paths with, see unexpectedly, happen upon, find accidentally, chance upon
    Antonyms: avoid, miss deliberately, pass by intentionally, ignore, stay away from, bypass, overlook, steer clear of, not meet, evade, dodge, keep distance

  2. (Verb) To collide with something physically.

    Run into can also describe physically hitting something, especially accidentally. It suggests contact caused by movement.

    The car ran into a tree after sliding on the icy road.
    He wasn’t paying attention and ran into the glass door.
    The bicycle ran into a parked vehicle.

    Synonyms: collide with, crash into, hit, bump into, strike, slam into, smash into, impact, ram into, knock into, drive into, plow into
    Antonyms: avoid collision, steer away from, miss, dodge, pass safely, navigate around, prevent impact, bypass obstacle, slow down to avoid, swerve away, move around, clear safely

  3. (Verb) To encounter a problem or difficulty.

    In a more abstract sense, run into can mean facing or encountering a problem, challenge, or difficulty. It often suggests something unexpected.

    We ran into some technical issues during the presentation.
    She ran into financial trouble after losing her job.
    If you run into any problems, let me know immediately.

    Synonyms: encounter, face, meet with difficulty, experience, confront, come across problem, deal with, be met with, run up against, hit obstacle, fall into trouble, struggle with
    Antonyms: avoid problem, solve easily, bypass difficulty, overcome smoothly, prevent issue, succeed without trouble, manage effortlessly, avoid obstacle, have no trouble, escape difficulty, move past easily, remain problem-free

Conversation Using the Phrasal Verb Run into

While walking through a busy shopping mall, Sebastian and Elena discuss chance encounters. The dialogue explores run into, which means to meet someone by chance, or to experience problems or difficulties unexpectedly.

Sebastian: You’ll never guess who I managed to run into at the grocery store this morning—it was our old high school chemistry teacher!

Elena: That’s funny; I always seem to run into people from my past whenever I’m looking my worst or in a massive hurry.

Sebastian: I read that the construction project began to run into serious financial trouble after the cost of raw materials increased so suddenly.

Elena: I noticed that the new software started to run into technical issues as soon as we tried to sync it with our existing database.

Sebastian: If we run into any more delays, we might have to push back the official launch date of the product by at least a month.

Elena: I saw a car run into a lamppost because the driver was distracted by his phone while trying to navigate the icy streets.

Sebastian: It’s always a pleasant surprise to run into an old friend and spend a few minutes catching up on each other's lives and careers.

Elena: I agree; I’m going to try not to run into any debt by keeping a very close eye on my spending during this holiday season.

Sebastian: I’m glad we didn't run into a long queue at the cinema; we have plenty of time to get some popcorn before the movie starts.

Elena: Me too; once we run into the rest of the group at the restaurant later, we can finally enjoy our Friday night together.

Phrases Containing the Phrasal Verb Run Into

The phrases below show how the phrasal verb run into is used to talk about meeting someone unexpectedly or encountering problems and situations.

Run into a friend

To meet someone unexpectedly.

I ran into a friend from high school at the airport, and we ended up talking for nearly an hour about how much our lives have changed.

Run into trouble

To experience difficulties.

The project ran into trouble when the main supplier suddenly increased prices without warning.

Run into problems

To encounter issues.

If we don’t plan carefully, we might run into problems that delay the entire schedule.

Run into someone

To meet unexpectedly.

I didn’t expect to run into someone I used to work with while shopping in another city.

Run into difficulty

To face obstacles.

The team ran into difficulty while trying to integrate the new software system.

Run into an old teacher

To unexpectedly meet a former instructor.

She ran into an old teacher who still remembered her passion for writing.

Run into conflict

To encounter disagreement.

The negotiation ran into conflict when both sides refused to compromise.

Run into unexpected costs

To face unplanned expenses.

During construction, they ran into unexpected costs that stretched the budget.

Run into delays

To experience postponements.

We ran into delays because the shipment arrived later than promised.

Run into a wall

To literally collide or figuratively face blockage.

The discussion ran into a wall when no one could agree on the next step.

Run into traffic

To encounter heavy vehicles on the road.

We ran into traffic on the highway, which made us late for the event.

Run into resistance

To meet opposition.

The proposal ran into resistance from senior management who preferred a safer option.

Run into confusion

To face misunderstanding.

The instructions were unclear, and we ran into confusion during implementation.

Run into financial trouble

To experience money problems.

The company ran into financial trouble after several poor investments.

Run into an accident

To encounter a crash situation.

He ran into an accident on his way home but thankfully wasn’t seriously injured.

Run into challenges

To face demanding situations.

Every startup runs into challenges during its early stages of growth.

Run into a misunderstanding

To experience confusion between people.

They ran into a misunderstanding because neither side explained their expectations clearly.

Run into legal issues

To face legal problems.

The company ran into legal issues due to unclear contract terms.

Run into complications

To experience complex problems.

The surgery ran into complications that required additional care.

Run into obstacles

To encounter barriers.

Innovators often run into obstacles before achieving success.

Words Rhyme with run into

sun into
fun into
gun into
bun into
pun into
done into
won into
none into
ton into
stun into
into
onto
unto
to
do
you
who
view
blue
new
true
through
pursue
review
preview
interview
renew
overdue
subdue
value
POS: Verb Phrase