# run-in

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. An encounter; a scrape or brush, especially one involving trouble or difficulty.
2. The end-phase of a competition etc.
3. A sudden compression between two coupled railcars when the hinder one is moving faster than the fore one.

## Etymology
Derived from the verb run into.
For the meaning "end-phase", it presumably comes a marathon race, where in the final part the runners run into the stadium and complete a lap.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/run-in