The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word ELOPING
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
E
L
O
P
I
N
G
More clues leading to the result ELOPING
- European uprising? At home, government’s running away
- Leaving unannounced for an away match
- Slipping off at an angle, with initial change of direction
- Carrying old brooch, broke leg running away to get married
- Running away from pine log — that’s mad
- With sweetheart, running?
- Running alongside sweetheart?
- Rolling pine log an activity for dish and spoon
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "running away" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case running away = eloping.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does ELOPING mean?
ELOPING verb- (of a married person) To run away from home with a paramour.
- (of an unmarried person) To run away secretly for the purpose of getting married with one's intended spouse; to marry in a quick or private fashion, especially without a public period of engagement.
- To run away from home (for any reason).