run to ground
Hunted until found
To run someone or something to ground is to pursue until captured or found, like a hunter tracking prey to its burrow.
The phrase implies persistent, exhaustive searching: Police finally ran the suspect to ground in a warehouse outside the city.
It extends to locating elusive information or objects: After weeks of research, she ran the obscure reference to ground.
- get hold ofObtain or contact someone
- digUnearth by shoveling
- uncoveringRevealing something hidden
- trackPath or monitored route
- sniff outDetect by smelling
exposing · trap · sleuthing · capture · hound · ferret out · smoke out · flush out · perseverance · lair · pinpointing · corner · quarry · revealing · prey · identifying · hunting · hunt down
- pursuitchase, chasing, pursuit, chase down, pursue
capture vs. escape
run to groundlet off the hook
lose · lose sight of · come up empty · draw a blank · let loose
ground, runs, running, runner, runners, grounds, grounded, grounding, groundless