1
as in to overcome
to defeat by a large margin
as expected, the professional team had no trouble routing the amateurs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in to out
to drive or force out
the nation's ground and air forces quickly routed the would-be invaders
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in defeat
failure to win a contest
the championship game was a humiliating rout for the team that had been favored to win
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in escape
the act or an instance of getting free from danger or confinement
in the mad rout from the school shooter, it was every person for himself
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in throng
a great number of persons or creatures massed together
a great rout of rubberneckers had gathered around the scene of the accident
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in populace
people looked down upon as ignorant and of the lowest class
at first the protests were dismissed as nothing more than the idle doings of the restless rout
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rout
Nick Romano, EW.com, 25 May 2025
Israel dispatched negotiators to Doha while making clear that its forces were poised to plunge deeper into the Gaza Strip on a mission to rout Hamas and recover the remaining 48 hostages by force.
—Bloomberg News, Boston Herald, 17 May 2025
Andy Scholes, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2025
Nate Adkins injured his knee in the fourth quarter of the Dallas rout.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rout
Verb
The Battle of Jakku The fleet of the Rebellion, now calling itself the New Republic, routs the Empire in the largest battle since Endor.
—Nick Romano, EW.com, 25 May 2025
Israel dispatched negotiators to Doha while making clear that its forces were poised to plunge deeper into the Gaza Strip on a mission to rout Hamas and recover the remaining 48 hostages by force.
—Bloomberg News, Boston Herald, 17 May 2025
Noun
Buffalo’s defense dominated in last week’s 40-9 rout of the Carolina Panthers but suffered another setback, losing Ed Oliver to a torn bicep.
—Andy Scholes, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2025
Nate Adkins injured his knee in the fourth quarter of the Dallas rout.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rout
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rout
Verb
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Among those highlighted will be Amanda, a refugee and the first Miss Trans Global Uganda; Sarah, who overcame sight loss to support LGBTQ+ people with disabilities while running marathons; and Leo, a speaker and life coach with dyskinetic cerebral palsy.—
Sophie Williams,
Billboard,
6 Nov. 2025
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Fortunately, modern nandina cultivars like 'Lemon-Lime' from the Southern Living Plant Collection have been bred to overcome these problems.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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After Julia outed their affair in the one true bombshell of the season and Adriana wowed everyone by bringing up a Haitian mortician who got a free coffee maker (an excellent Halloween costume, BTW), the next season will just be the two of them sniping and shouting.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
31 Oct. 2025
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Syracuse has also lost the last two meetings between these programs, failing to score more than seven points in either outing (in 2023 and 2020).—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Sides of salad, mushrooms, mashed potatoes, turkey gravy, whipped sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, buttered corn, stuffing and cranberry sauce can be purchased a la carte.—
Elaine Rewolinski,
jsonline.com,
3 Nov. 2025
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Somebody could come up and whip us.—
Frank DiGiacomo,
Billboard,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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By the time they were chased by regime forces, their boat was virtually dead at sea, the remaining engine barely running.—
Antonio Maria Delgado,
Miami Herald,
7 Nov. 2025
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One chases agility and research breakthroughs, the other aims for affordability and everyday utility.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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There is no dignity, and no justice, in a system that buries an elderly woman alive in silence.—
Kim Aris,
Time,
7 Nov. 2025
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Researchers at Queen Mary University of London and University College London have found that humans can detect objects buried in sand without directly touching them.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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For example, a rock just 11 pounds (5 kilograms) in mass can gouge a crater more than 30 feet (9 meters) wide and eject over 75 metric tons of lunar soil and rock, according to NASA.—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
4 Nov. 2025
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In recent years, Beijing has sought to solidify its presence inside the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ), including ejecting Filipino fishermen.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Residents have been forced to eat animal food and hides as community kitchens are bombed.—
NPR,
NPR,
4 Nov. 2025
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An art conservator who'd prefer to be immersed in detail work, Sarah is bombing as the host of a dinner party where her entrepreneur husband (Tom Riley) hopes to impress an obnoxious prospective investor (Tom Goodman-Hill) when a literal explosive goes off in her neighborhood.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Within 30 days, registrations would be required, proofs of freedom demanded, and Black residents lacking two white sponsors willing to post the $500 bond would be banished.—
Equal Justice Initiative,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
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Lately though, claims about the practice have grown, with viral videos and content creators claiming that exposing your blankets to freezing temperatures kills bacteria, banishes allergens, and more.—
Abby Wolner,
Better Homes & Gardens,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rout.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rout. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
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