Run something by someone and run something past someone share the same core meaning. You show or tell someone something to get a reaction, opinion, or approval.
The choice usually does not change the requested action. Still, frequency and preference may vary by speaker, region, or workplace.
Quick check
Same request, two variants
You know "Run Something By" well.
Keep going with the full learning path — more workplace contexts, related expressions, and practice using it yourself with feedback.
Continue with "Run Something By" →There's more to "Run Something By" than it seems.
You've got part of it, but the full learning path goes deeper into its nuances, workplace contexts, and when it sounds natural — then gives you practice using it yourself.
Learn "Run Something By" in depth →Both can sound natural
"Let me run this by you before I send it."
"Let me run this past you before I send it."
Both sentences make the same request in these examples. They fit speech and informal workplace writing. Neither version creates approval authority by itself; context still sets the purpose and tone.
The one thing to actually watch for
With past, check which meaning the sentence uses. Run the plan past legal means share it for a reaction. Run past the deadline means go beyond a limit. In other contexts, run past can also describe physical movement.
Idiom: "I ran the numbers past finance before sending them."
Unrelated: "We ran past the deadline on this deliverable."
Try it yourself
Switch the variant
The rule
Use either idiom for sharing something to get a response. Follow the form common in your workplace if you notice a preference. With past, use the full sentence to identify the intended meaning.
Practice scenarios
Practice choosing between run something by and run something past in situations like:
- rewriting the same request with either preposition while keeping its meaning
- distinguishing "ran past the deadline" from "ran the plan past legal"
- checking which form sounds natural in a particular workplace
Useful practice phrases:
- "Let me run this by/past you before I send it."
- "I ran it by/past legal and they're fine with it."
- "We ran past the deadline" (unrelated meaning -- exceeded a limit)
Want to actually use "Run Something By" naturally at work?
Understanding it is one thing. Practice its nuances, see how it works in real workplace situations, and use it yourself with feedback.
Start the "Run Something By" learning path →The two idioms share a core meaning, though usage preferences can vary.