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
Leading off the sixth, Cortes robbed a home run off the bat of Kyle Higashioka.
—Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 31 Aug. 2025
His lawyer, Douglas Brannon, said his client was allegedly hit in the head 28 times and robbed during the attack, while trying to protect his girlfriend and another friend during the melee.
—FOXNews.com, 30 Aug. 2025
The judge who granted shock probation to a man later charged with abducting three people before robbing a bank has recused herself from the case.
—Louisville Courier Journal, 29 Aug. 2025
Are there ways that notorious bandits have successfully robbed banks?
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
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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Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 31 Aug. 2025
His lawyer, Douglas Brannon, said his client was allegedly hit in the head 28 times and robbed during the attack, while trying to protect his girlfriend and another friend during the melee.
—FOXNews.com, 30 Aug. 2025
The judge who granted shock probation to a man later charged with abducting three people before robbing a bank has recused herself from the case.
—Louisville Courier Journal, 29 Aug. 2025
Are there ways that notorious bandits have successfully robbed banks?
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 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 9 Sep. 2025.
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