eliminate

verb

elim·​i·​nate i-ˈli-mə-ˌnāt 

eliminated; eliminating

transitive verb

1

a

: to put an end to or get rid of : remove

eliminate errors

b

: to remove from consideration

eliminate someone as a suspect

c

: to remove from further competition by defeating

the team was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs

2

: to expel (waste) from the living body

3

mathematics : to cause to disappear by combining two or more equations

eliminate an unknown quantity

intransitive verb

: to expel waste from the living body

eliminative

i-ˈli-mə-ˌnā-tiv 

adjective

eliminator

i-ˈli-mə-ˌnā-tər 

noun

Synonyms of eliminate

• exclude
• prevent
• ban
• prohibit

Examples of eliminate in a Sentence

Doctors seek to eliminate the causes of the epidemic.

The body naturally eliminates waste products.

The company plans to eliminate more than 2,000 jobs in the coming year.

She's trying to eliminate fatty foods from her diet.

Recent Examples on the Web

If cooking dinner every night feels repetitive and exhausting, online grocery delivery is your ultimate solution to simplify weekly meal planning, eliminate stressful trips to the store and get fresh ingredients brought straight to your door. — Rachel Cortez, USA Today, 4 July 2026

While the streaming service recently eliminated its free trial directly through the site, customers who sign up for one of DirecTV’s Signature packages will get three months of Paramount+ Premium included at no cost. — Erin Lassner, HollywoodReporter, 4 July 2026

Still, with the new lottery system that dissuades (if not eliminates) tanking, the gimmes seem to be gone in the East. — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 4 July 2026

The city is simply urging you to continue to take all measures to eliminate any fire flare ups and remove the food waste as quickly as possible. — City News Service, Daily News, 4 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin eliminatus, past participle of eliminare, from e- + limin-, limen threshold

First Known Use

1628, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2

Rhymes for eliminate

• abbreviate
• accelerate
• accommodate
• accumulate
• acuminate
• adjudicate
• adulterate
• affiliate
• agglomerate
• agglutinate
• alleviate
• amalgamate

Kids Definition

eliminate

verb

elim·​i·​nate i-ˈlim-ə-ˌnāt 

eliminated; eliminating

1

a

: to get rid of : remove

b

: to remove from further competition by defeating

2

: to expel from the living body

eliminative

-ˌnāt-iv 

adjective

eliminator

-ˌnāt-ər 

noun

Medical Definition

eliminate

transitive verb

elim·​i·​nate -ˌnāt 

eliminated; eliminating

: to expel (as waste) from the living body