1. The occurrence of surplus liquid (as water) exceeding the limit or capacity
   "Heavy rains caused runoff in the river, flooding nearby fields";
   - overflow, overspill
    
2. A final election to resolve an earlier election that did not produce a winner
   "The mayoral race went to a runoff when no candidate secured a majority"

1. Leave suddenly and as if in a hurry
   "When she started to tell silly stories, I ran off";
   - run out, bolt, bolt out, beetle off [Brit, informal]
    
2. Run away; usually includes taking something or somebody along
   "the accountant ran off with the cash from the safe";
   - abscond, bolt, absquatulate [N. Amer], decamp, go off, make off, make away
    
3. Run away secretly with one's beloved
   "The young couple ran off and got married in Las Vegas";
   - elope
    
4. Force to go away; used both with concrete and metaphoric meanings
   "The supermarket had to run off many disappointed customers";
   - chase away, drive out, turn back, drive away, dispel, drive off
    
5. Run off as waste
   "The water runs off back into the ocean";
   - waste
    
6. Reproduce by xerography
   "Please run off these documents for the meeting";
   - photocopy, xerox
    
7. (game) decide (a contest or competition) by a runoff
   "They had to run off the tie game"

Derived forms: ran off, running off, runoffs, run off, runs off

See also: run, travel

Type of: compete, contend, course, cut and run [informal], displace, election, feed, flee, flow, flowing, fly, go away, go forth, leave, move, off [informal], poll, reproduce, run, take flight, vie

Encyclopedia: Runoff