root out
phrasal verb
rooted out; rooting out; roots out
1
: to find and remove (something or someone)
The mayor was determined to root out corruption in city government.
2
: to find (something or someone) after searching for a long time
He finally rooted out the cause of the problem.
Examples of root out in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The supporters of the administration's cost-cutting efforts have characterized it as necessary to root out fraud and waste and to take a bite out of the national debt.
—
John Kelly, Nancy Cordes, CBS News, 29 Apr. 2025
Under Secretary Noem’s leadership, DHS is unapologetic about its efforts to root out leakers that undermine national security.
—Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 29 Apr. 2025
Claiming to root out waste, fraud, and abuse, Musk’s team has taken control of independent federal agencies and inflicted crippling cuts.
—Eric Cortellessa, Time, 25 Apr. 2025
Make sure the beds are at least 1 to 2 feet deep, to keep the roots out of contaminated soil.
—Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for root out
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John Kelly, Nancy Cordes, CBS News, 29 Apr. 2025
Under Secretary Noem’s leadership, DHS is unapologetic about its efforts to root out leakers that undermine national security.
—Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 29 Apr. 2025
Claiming to root out waste, fraud, and abuse, Musk’s team has taken control of independent federal agencies and inflicted crippling cuts.
—Eric Cortellessa, Time, 25 Apr. 2025
Make sure the beds are at least 1 to 2 feet deep, to keep the roots out of contaminated soil.
—Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for root out
Cite this Entry
“Root out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/root%20out. Accessed 5 May. 2025.
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