robbed; robbing
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
: to commit robbery
robber
noun
see also:
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
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
Springfield (Massachusetts) Morning Union
Examples of rob in a Sentence
Someone tried to rob me.
The cashier was robbed at gunpoint.
Recent Examples on the Web
The prosecutor's office said a handgun was fired at the victim before he was robbed of his money.
—Paula Wethington, CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
The incident started when Lamar Alexander and Ronnie Jerome Hill robbed a Coral Gables jewelry store, then hijacked Ordoñez’s UPS truck 2 miles away and took him with them on a high-speed chase into Broward County that ended at a crowded Miramar intersection.
—Cindy Krischer Goodman, Sun Sentinel, 23 Mar. 2026
Left fielder Mark Collins robs Galloway of a hit with a diving catch.
—Caleb Yum, Austin American Statesman, 20 Mar. 2026
Eleven days later, Collins tried to rob a diner where Thomas Weiss, 44, was working as a cashier.
—Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rob
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Paula Wethington, CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
The incident started when Lamar Alexander and Ronnie Jerome Hill robbed a Coral Gables jewelry store, then hijacked Ordoñez’s UPS truck 2 miles away and took him with them on a high-speed chase into Broward County that ended at a crowded Miramar intersection.
—Cindy Krischer Goodman, Sun Sentinel, 23 Mar. 2026
Left fielder Mark Collins robs Galloway of a hit with a diving catch.
—Caleb Yum, Austin American Statesman, 20 Mar. 2026
Eleven days later, Collins tried to rob a diner where Thomas Weiss, 44, was working as a cashier.
—Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rob
Cite this Entry
“Rob.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rob. Accessed 26 Mar. 2026.
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