From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishrun riotrun riota) IMAGINEif your imagination, emotions, thoughts etc run riot, you cannot or do not control them Manufacturers have let their imaginations run riot to create new computer games. b) LOUD/NOISYif people run riot, they behave in a violent, noisy, and uncontrolled way Some people let their children run riot. c) GROW/GET BIGGERif a plant runs riot, it grows very quickly → riot
Examples from the Corpus
run riot• Confusion ran riot in Ruth's heart.• The objects left in the churchyard were open to all manner of interpretation and imagination could run riot.• Because of her weakened state her imagination had run riot.• All kinds of wild ideas ran riot in my brain.• Ann let her imagination run riot as she wrote.• When Coleridge got on one and let his imagination run riot, he came up with Kubla Khan.• Roses ran riot up the wall.• In the Pilkington final two years ago, they ran riot over the Cherry and Whites.• Now, when far greater things were at stake, she had allowed her emotions to run riot.• Boro threatened to run riot but could not provide the finishing touch. 