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

see also:

rob Peter to pay Paul

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

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

In October 2025, jewelry worth $102 million was robbed from the Louvre in Paris. — News Desk, Artforum, 28 Aug. 2026

Named after Blythe Street — a short thoroughfare flanked by overcrowded apartments — the crew had robbed, stole, peddled drugs and shot up rivals since the 1980s, seemingly untroubled by the city of Los Angeles’ attempts to defeat it. — Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026

The backlash against hyperscale data centers has converted both Democrats and Republicans into AI skeptics, warning that the industry’s rise risks robbing communities of autonomy. — David Weigel, semafor.com, 26 Aug. 2026

At the same time, an elderly woman approached the officers and told them the trio had just robbed her of a gold chain necklace. — Jason Green, Mercury News, 26 Aug. 2026

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 Peter to pay Paul
• 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