Business English Phrasal Verbs: Run Out vs. Run Out Of — What’s the Difference?

Quiz Quiz Key Vocabulary More Practice Download the Practice PDF

If you want to sound more natural at work, learning Business English phrasal verbs is a great place to start. We use them every day in meetings, emails, and quick conversations. These little phrases can be confusing at first, but once you understand how they work, they become very easy to use. In this lesson, you’ll learn some of the most common “run” phrasal verbs, see simple examples, and test yourself with a quick quiz. Let’s jump in and learn them together.

Today’s Challenge:

You’ve been working on a big presentation all morning. The meeting starts in ten minutes, and you want everything to look perfect. You open the file, double-check the numbers, and feel proud — the report looks great! All you need to do now is print it.

---

ADVERTISEMENT

---

You walk over to the printer, press the button… and nothing happens.

You press it again. Still nothing.

You open the tray, look inside, and your heart sinks — it’s completely empty.

At that exact moment, your manager walks by and asks, “Is the report ready?”

You take a deep breath and explain:

We _____ paper, so I couldn’t print the report.

A) ran

B) ran out

C) ran of

D) ran out of

Choose the correct option and listen to the sentence.

CHECK AND READ MORE EXAMPLES

RUN OUT OF something

phrasal verb

to use all of something and have no more left

We ran out of paper halfway through printing the client proposals.

I’ve run out of ideas — let’s take a break and come back to it.

They ran out of budget before the project was even halfway done.

We need to stop by the store — we’ve run out of coffee.

That's right! The correct answer is D) ran out of.

---

ADVERTISEMENT

---

Learn More Business English Phrasal Verbs with “Run”

Now let’s look at more useful Business English phrasal verbs with “run.” These expressions appear often in meetings and emails, and learning them will help you sound more natural at work. Read the examples below and try the quick quiz to check your understanding.

RUN BY

phrasal verb

to show an idea to someone so they can give you their opinion

• I need to run this idea by my manager before we make a decision.

• Can I run the new schedule by you to see if it works?

• She ran the plan by the team, and everyone agreed.

---

ADVERTISEMENT

---

RUN INTO

phrasal verb

1) to meet someone by accident; 2) to face a problem unexpectedly

• We ran into a problem with the software this morning.

• I ran into my old coworker at the airport.

• The project ran into delays because the client changed the plan.

RUN UP

phrasal verb

to make a cost grow by using or spending a lot

• We ran up a big bill after the team dinner.

• The project ran up extra costs because of the changes.

• She ran up her phone bill while traveling.

---

ADVERTISEMENT

---

RUN OVER

phrasal verb

to continue longer than expected

• The meeting ran over, so we finished later than planned.

• Sorry I’m late — the call ran over.

• The interview ran over because we had a lot to discuss.

RUN ACROSS

phrasal verb

to find something or someone by chance

• I ran across an old report that might help us.

• She ran across your email while checking the files.

• We ran across a good article about this topic yesterday.

Subscribe to unlock exclusive online quizzes. ➜ Try more quizzes.

Ready to Practice? Take the Quiz Below!

Choose the correct option, check your answer, and then listen to the sentence.

Explore more Business English lessons here: 20+ Business English Vocabulary Words: Key Adjectives for Work Business English Pricing Vocabulary (Quiz + Examples) Business English Vocabulary: Talking about the Future (+ Quiz) 20 Must-Know Business English Phrases for Work (With Examples and Practice Exercises)

Download Business English Phrasal Verbs with "Run" Worksheet

ANSWER KEY - QUIZ

1. We had a lot of important points to discuss, so the meeting ran _____, and I ended up being late for my doctor's appointment.

   A) up

   B) over

2. We’ve run _____ a few problems, but we’re working to fix them.

   A) to

   B) into

3. We’ve run _____ quite a few expenses this month, so we need to review the budget.

   A) off

   B) up

4. I ran _____ an interesting article about the industry while researching for our next strategy.

   A) across

   B) over

5. I need to run this proposal _____ the boss before we move forward.

   A) for

   B) by

---

Nailed it! Click the image below to try another Business English Quiz!