phrasal verb / idiomatic verb phrase · formal

run the risk (of)

/rʌn ðə rɪsk əv/run·the·RISK

task2speaking

to expose oneself to the possibility of something bad happening; to be at risk of

Examples

If you ignore safety rules, you run the risk of serious injury.

Policymakers run the risk of public backlash if they cut social programmes.

By delaying maintenance the company ran the risk of equipment failure.

Band 8 sentence

Governments that ignore early warnings run the risk of irreversible environmental damage.

Collocations

  • run the risk of doing something / run the risk of + noun
  • run the risk of severe consequences

Word family

risk nounrisky adjective

Common mistakes

run the risk to dorun the risk of doing

take the risk ofrun the risk of

Say it for a higher band

5risk6take the risk7+run the risk (of)

Synonyms

risk

Easily confused

take the risk

He decided to take the risk and invest his savings.

Related words

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In run …

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