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
One day, Sylvie takes Suzanna, age nine, to the bank that her mother robbed, forces her to go inside on her own, and then inexplicably drives away.
—James Wood, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
Velezquez was working at the Family Dollar store at the corner of Lawrence and Sawyer avenues on April 25, when two men robbed the store.
—Jermont Terry, CBS News, 2 May 2026
The next year, he was arrested again for robbing and assaulting a prostitute.
—Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 1 May 2026
Earlier this year, one of the members of the group, a 17-year-old, testified against Eric Halem, a former Los Angeles police officer who was convicted last month of robbing $350,000 worth of cryptocurrency from the teen in 2024.
—Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 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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James Wood, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
Velezquez was working at the Family Dollar store at the corner of Lawrence and Sawyer avenues on April 25, when two men robbed the store.
—Jermont Terry, CBS News, 2 May 2026
The next year, he was arrested again for robbing and assaulting a prostitute.
—Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 1 May 2026
Earlier this year, one of the members of the group, a 17-year-old, testified against Eric Halem, a former Los Angeles police officer who was convicted last month of robbing $350,000 worth of cryptocurrency from the teen in 2024.
—Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 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 4 May. 2026.
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