run into — hit or collide with
phrasal verbB1IELTS 5+neutralcommon
to accidentally hit or crash into something or someone while moving.
Say it like a native
Textbook The vehicle collided with a lamppost.
Native The car ran into a lamppost.
'Run into' is the everyday verb for crashing into something; 'collided with' is formal/report-like.
Pattern: run into + something/someone
In use
- Be careful not to run into the table when you walk past.daily life
- On my way to work, I nearly ran into another car because the roads were so slippery after the rain.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ He ran into with a tree.
✓ He ran into a tree.
'Run into' takes the object directly — no 'with'.
Common collocations
run into + obstacle— a tree, the back of a car, a wall, a parked van
Don't confuse it
'Run into' (collide) is different from 'run over', which means to drive over something or someone.
Related
- run into (meet by chance) — Another meaning of 'run into' is 'meet by chance'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.