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Problem-solving vocabularyphrasal verb · /rʌn ˈɪntuː/

run into

In simple English

To 'run into' something means to encounter an unexpected problem while working. Engineers use this phrase daily in standups and Slack to explain blockers or delays.

Someone heard "run into" at work and wants to know what it means when a teammate says they "ran into an issue."

At a glanceCEFR B1–B2
Commonness
Versatility
FormalityCasualFormalCasual
Spoken ↔ WrittenSpokenWrittenBoth
Directness ↔ DiplomaticDirectDiplomaticNeutral
Region

Say it like this

✓I ran into a weird bug yesterday.
✓Did you run into any issues with the API?
✓We might run into problems if we don't test this first.
✓Let me know if you run into anything.
✓I keep running into the same error.

Real examples

Standup

"I ran into a few issues while installing the new software today."

Slack message

"Hey, I ran into a merge conflict—can you take a look?"

GitHub PR

"Ran into some edge cases that weren't covered by the original tests."

Jira ticket

"We ran into permission issues when deploying to staging."

Retrospective

"We kept running into the same CI failures this sprint."

Sprint planning

"We might run into delays if the API isn't ready."

Pair programming

"I ran into this exact problem last week—let me show you the fix."

Don't say this

✕I run into a problem yesterday.
✓I ran into a problem yesterday.— Use past tense 'ran' for things that already happened.
✕I ran into with an error.
✓I ran into an error.— No preposition needed after 'run into'—the object comes directly.
✕I was running into the problem and fixed it.
✓I ran into the problem and fixed it.— Use simple past 'ran into' for a single event. 'Running into' suggests repeated or ongoing issues.

Other forms

base form

run into

"You might run into issues."

past simple

ran into

"I ran into a bug yesterday."

present continuous

running into

"We keep running into the same problem."

past participle

run into

"Have you ever run into this before?"

Often used with

run into issuesThe most common collocation in tech contexts.
run into problemsGeneral problems, not specific bugs.
run into a bugFinding an unexpected bug while working.
run into errorsCommon when describing code or deployment failures.
run into blockersIssues that stop progress completely.
run into troubleGeneral difficulties, slightly more informal.

Similar words

encounterMore formal, good for documentation.
hitVery casual: 'I hit a snag.' Common in spoken English.
come acrossCan be positive or negative; 'run into' is usually negative.
faceMore formal: 'We faced some challenges.'
experienceNeutral and formal, good for reports.

Opposites

avoidpreventbypasswork aroundsidestep

Practice

Try it

4 quick exercises

Choose the most natural sentence

1. Which sounds most natural for a standup?

Find the error

2. Which sentence has a mistake?

Complete the sentence

3. We _____ into a few edge cases during testing.

Make it more natural

4. I experienced an unexpected problem with the API. (Use 'run into')

More words

blockeredge casebugissuehit a snagcome acrossroadblockworkaround

Questions

Quick poll

Have you said "run into" in a standup this week?

Want more structured practice like this? Our English for Programmers course covers real workplace English in depth.

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