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)
(2)
: to take the contents of (a receptacle)
c
: to take away as loot : steal
rob jewelry
2
a
: to deprive of something due, expected, or desired
b
: to withhold unjustly or injuriously
: 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
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 Louvre was robbed The museum is closed while police investigate.
—Diane Brady, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2025
The thieves who brazenly robbed the Louvre Museum in Paris and stole priceless jewelry in one of the most daring museum heists in recent memory may have been hired by a private collector, officials said.
—Bonny Chu , Ronn Blitzer, FOXNews.com, 20 Oct. 2025
The series also links Gein — who confessed to killing two women, robbing countless graves and making items of the body parts of his victims — to both the sensation about true crime stories and to many horror films that featured over-the-top killers.
—Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 20 Oct. 2025
Directed by Sara Talab, this evocative period drama unfolds in 1960s Jeddah, where a young musician’s life is upended when illness robs him of his hearing.
—Essie Assibu, Variety, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rob
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Diane Brady, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2025
The thieves who brazenly robbed the Louvre Museum in Paris and stole priceless jewelry in one of the most daring museum heists in recent memory may have been hired by a private collector, officials said.
—Bonny Chu , Ronn Blitzer, FOXNews.com, 20 Oct. 2025
The series also links Gein — who confessed to killing two women, robbing countless graves and making items of the body parts of his victims — to both the sensation about true crime stories and to many horror films that featured over-the-top killers.
—Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 20 Oct. 2025
Directed by Sara Talab, this evocative period drama unfolds in 1960s Jeddah, where a young musician’s life is upended when illness robs him of his hearing.
—Essie Assibu, Variety, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rob
Cite this Entry
“Rob.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rob. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.
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