zusammenläuft

Zusammenläuft is the form of the German verb zusammenlaufen, which means to run together, to converge, or to merge into a common point or line. The term is used literally, for objects that physically join, such as rivers, roads, or tracks, and figuratively for ideas, groups, or processes that come together toward a shared outcome. In geographic contexts one speaks of streams, paths, or routes that run together; in everyday language it can describe projects or plans that are brought to a common direction.

Grammatical and usage notes: Zusammenlaufen is a separable verb. In the present tense, the prefix is separated: er läuft zusammen, die Wege laufen zusammen. In the perfect, forms typically use sein: Die Bäche sind zusammengelaufen. The phrase can also appear with verbs like „laufen auf“ or „zulaufen“ to indicate convergence toward a target, e.g., two Straßen laufen am Marktplatz zusammen; two Linien laufen auf dasselbe Ziel zu.

Contexts and nuance: The expression is common in geography and transportation, but it also appears in scientific or analytical writing when describing convergence of data sets, theories, or efforts. In mathematics and formal science, konvergieren or auf denselben Grenzwert zulaufen are often preferred, while zusammenlaufen remains a vivid, sometimes metaphorical alternative.

Related terms: zusammenführen (to bring together), zusammenkommen (to come together), konvergieren (to converge). Opposites include auseinanderlaufen (to run apart) or sich trennen (to separate).