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
Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Nov. 2025
Yet those soldiers and sailors had to stretch across a vast global canvas, leaving fewer than three in ten of them to try to rout the insurgents in North America.
—Literary Hub, 7 Nov. 2025
Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 2 Jan. 2026
The biggest game and biggest win in Indiana history went as well as any of the tens of thousands of IU fans in attendance could have dreamed, at the expense of a blue blood suffering its worst loss since a 42-6 rout against Arkansas in 1998 and worst postseason loss ever.
—The Athletic College Football Staff, New York Times, 2 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rout
Verb
How to Watch Florida at Ole Miss Ole Miss stepped out of SEC play last week to rout The Citadel, an FCS program, 49-0.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Nov. 2025
Yet those soldiers and sailors had to stretch across a vast global canvas, leaving fewer than three in ten of them to try to rout the insurgents in North America.
—Literary Hub, 7 Nov. 2025
Noun
His latest victory, a 38-3 rout of Alabama in the Rose Bowl, means a pay raise for the coach, on top of the cash bonuses for the best season in the history of Indiana football.
—Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 2 Jan. 2026
The biggest game and biggest win in Indiana history went as well as any of the tens of thousands of IU fans in attendance could have dreamed, at the expense of a blue blood suffering its worst loss since a 42-6 rout against Arkansas in 1998 and worst postseason loss ever.
—The Athletic College Football Staff, New York Times, 2 Jan. 2026
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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There were some frightening moments early Monday for a Miramar man after police say he was pistol whipped during a home invasion and his French bulldog was stolen.—
Steven Yablonski,
CBS News,
5 Jan. 2026
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Or whips around his defender in a bold pirouette.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Jan. 2026
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
-
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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Fire Rescue said one person was ejected in the collision and airlifted to a trauma center.—
Chelsea Jones,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
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Georgia's biggest issue came in the first half when 6-11 center Somto Cyril was ejected for throwing a forearm into Florida's Rueben Chinyelu.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Fighter jets bombed strategic targets in Panama City and Colón, while ground forces dismantled the Panamanian Defense Forces.—
Cristina Guevara,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Jan. 2026
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If Venezuela and its region instead spiral into chaos and suffering, Trump will merely look like a bully, a president who cowers when facing the mighty — in Moscow or Beijing, say — but bombs those who can’t return fire, whether in Nigeria, Yemen or Venezuela.—
Andreas Kluth,
Boston Herald,
7 Jan. 2026
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 Jan. 2026.
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