rob

verb

ˈräb 

robbed; robbing

transitive verb

1

a(1)

: to take something away from by force : steal from

(2)

: to take personal property from by violence or threat

b(1)

: to remove valuables without right from (a place)

rob a safe

(2)

: to take the contents of (a receptacle)

rob a hive of honey

c

: to take away as loot : steal

rob jewelry

2

a

: to deprive of something due, expected, or desired

made a great shot but was robbed by the goalie

Illness robbed her of a normal childhood.

b

: to withhold unjustly or injuriously

was robbed of a promotion

intransitive verb

: to commit robbery

robber noun

see also:

rob Peter to pay Paul

Can rob mean 'to steal'?: Usage Guide

Transitive sense 1c, in which the direct object is the thing stolen, is sometimes considered to be wrong, or perhaps archaic. The sense has been in use since the 13th century and is found in earlier literature.

contrive to rob the honey and subvert the hive

—John Dryden

It is still in use though not as common as other senses.

then robbed $100 after the clerk fled

—Springfield (Massachusetts) Morning Union

Synonyms of rob

• loot
• sack
• burglarize
• plunder
• steal (from)
• exploit
• strip
• cheat
• burgle

Examples of rob in a Sentence

Someone tried to rob me.

The cashier was robbed at gunpoint.

Recent Examples on the Web

Hardwick said Davis and his friend had planned to rob someone named CJ, though investigators have been unable to determine who CJ is. — James Cirrone, FOXNews.com, 8 Aug. 2026

The October break-ins at the museum happened less than a week before the Louvre was robbed of the country’s crown jewels on October 19th, in a brazen heist that led to the eventual ousting of Louvre president Laurence des Cars. — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 7 Aug. 2026

The hypothesis was that one of the men — linked to organized crime groups that robbed wealthy homes — attempted to rob the Percy home and Valerie had woken up. — Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 7 Aug. 2026

Mingo allegedly entered each of the stores late at night -- after all or nearly all customers had left -- and robbed employees at gunpoint, officials said. — Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 6 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English robben, from Anglo-French rober, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German roubōn to rob — more at reave

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a(1)

Phrases Containing rob

• rob blind
• rob Peter to pay Paul
• rob the cradle

Rhymes for rob

• blob
• bob
• cob
• daub
• fob
• glob
• gob
• hob
• job
• knob
• lob
• mob

Kids Definition

rob

verb

ˈräb 

robbed; robbing

1

a

: to take something away from a person or place in secrecy or by force, threat, or trickery

b

: to take away as loot : steal

2

: to keep from getting something due, expected, or desired

robber noun