end run

1 of 2

noun

1

: a football play in which the ballcarrier attempts to run wide around the end of the line

specifically : sweep sense 3e

2

: an evasive trick or maneuver

made an end run around the regulations

end-run

2 of 2

verb

ˈend-ˌrən 

end-ran; end-running; end-runs

transitive verb

: to avoid artfully

end-running the law

Examples of end run in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

In the House, Democrats are trying to do an end run against the opposition of Speaker Mike Johnson by launching a discharge petition, which requires a majority of 218 members to force bills to be taken up on the House floor. —Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 5 June 2024

The company’s lawsuit thus amounts to an end run around the law. —Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 16 May 2024

Verb

Donald Trump’s blockbuster fraud trial reached a dramatic finale at closing arguments Thursday when the former president made an end-run around a judge’s strict orders to get his two cents on the record. —Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 11 Jan. 2024

At the end of the first quarter, some 23 states had fewer than 1,000 electric vehicles on offer, excluding brands like Tesla that do an end-run around traditional dealerships. —Bloomberg, Orange County Register, 31 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1902, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1952, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

end run

noun

: a football play in which the ballcarrier attempts to run wide around the end