Run off means to run away quickly, sometimes taking something that isn't yours: run off with the money. The second meaning is to print a number of copies quickly: run off twenty copies.
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run off (+ with + person/money) (leave suddenly, escape); run off + copies (print quickly)
- The thief grabbed her bag and ran off before anyone could stop him.
- He ran off with all the money from the charity fund.
- Could you run off twenty copies of the agenda before the meeting?
What changed
First versionThe printer has run off of paper again.
RevisionThe printer has run out of paper again.
Run off and run out differ by a single particle, which makes them easy to mix up. When something has been used up, like paper in a printer, the phrase needed is run out of: has run out of paper. Run off means 'escape' or 'print' and has nothing to do with supplies running low.
Run away emphasises escaping from someone or something: He ran away from home at sixteen. Run off just means to leave quickly and suddenly, not necessarily from anyone in particular: The kids ran off to play as soon as lunch was over.
Your turn
When the police arrived, the two men dropped the boxes and ___ down the alley.
Show the answer
ran off — The men dropped the boxes and escaped down the alley when the police arrived, which is ran off. Ran out would mean 'became used up' or 'ran outside from indoors' — what matters here is that they fled and got away, not where they came from.
Describe a case where someone ran away or escaped quickly — in real life, a film or the news. Say where from and why.
After the crash, the other driver ran off from the scene because he didn't have a licence.
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