Run up means to build up a large bill or debt, while run up to means to hurry towards someone. People use it for debts and bills that build up gradually until the total turns out to be surprisingly high: run up a phone bill.
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run up + a bill/debt/cost; run up to + person/place
- We ran up a huge phone bill while we were travelling abroad.
- She ran up thousands of pounds in credit card debt before she noticed.
- A tourist ran up to me at the station and asked for directions.
What changed
First versionWe ran a big bill at the hotel bar during our stay.
RevisionWe ran up a big bill at the hotel bar during our stay.
The meaning 'build up' depends entirely on the particle up. Without it, ran a big bill doesn't convey that meaning at all, and the sentence sounds incomplete. The particle has to stay: ran up a big bill.
Rack up means almost the same thing and also works for bills and debts: we racked up a huge bill. But rack up is broader — it's used for points, wins and views too: the video racked up a million views. Run up in this sense is almost always about money you'll have to pay back.
Your turn
By the end of the holiday, we had ___ a debt of almost two thousand pounds on our credit card.
Show the answer
run up — Over the holiday, a debt of almost two thousand pounds built up on the card, so run up fits. Run out means 'to become used up' — it would describe money running out, not a debt appearing.
Describe a situation where someone (you or someone else) built up a large bill or debt without really noticing. Say what it was for and how much.
During the conference, our team ran up a bill of nearly three hundred pounds on room service without really noticing.
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