rob

verb

ˈräb 

robbed; robbing

transitive verb

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

intransitive verb

: to commit robbery

robber noun

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

It is still in use though not as common as other senses.

then robbed $100 after the clerk fled

—Springfield (Massachusetts) Morning Union

Phrases

rob Peter to pay Paul

: to take money that was meant for one person or thing and use it to pay someone else or for something else

Synonyms of rob

• loot
• sack
• burglarize
• plunder
• steal (from)
• exploit
• strip
• cheat
• burgle

Examples of rob in a Sentence

Someone tried to rob me.

The cashier was robbed at gunpoint.

Recent Examples on the Web

Vito walked in on the robbery and was robbed at gun point. —Jeramie Bizzle, CBS News, 17 Nov. 2025

Carleton has fewer students (2,100) than his high school (3,600) and sits in a town best known for its citizen uprising against outlaw Jesse James’ attempts to rob the First National Bank in 1876. —Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 15 Nov. 2025

Snider told dispatch he was beaten up and robbed. —Audrey Gibbs, Nashville Tennessean, 14 Nov. 2025

Prosecutors said Watanabe met Chacon at the park for the drug deal and attempted to rob him. —Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 14 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English robben, from Anglo-French rober, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German roubōn to rob — more at reave

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a(1)

Phrases Containing rob

• rob blind
• rob the cradle

Rhymes for rob

• blob
• bob
• cob
• daub
• fob
• glob
• gob
• hob
• job
• knob
• lob
• mob

Kids Definition

rob

verb

ˈräb 

robbed; robbing

1

a

: to take something away from a person or place in secrecy or by force, threat, or trickery

b

: to take away as loot : steal

2

: to keep from getting something due, expected, or desired

robber noun