run against

run against idiom
  1. Also, run up against or run into. Encounter something, especially a difficulty, unexpectedly. For example, We didn't know we'd run up against so much opposition, or He ran into trouble with his taxes. [Late 1300s]
  2. Work against, as in Public sentiment ran against her. [Late 1300s]
  3. Oppose for elective office, as in Susan decided to run against a very popular incumbent. This usage is a figurative application of running in a footrace. [First half of 1800s]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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