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
According to officials, the other involved two unarmed people robbing an individual inside the mall in one of the bathrooms.
—Jack Springgate, CBS News, 31 May 2026
The Cleveland Guardians may have won the battle, a replay review that robbed Connor Wong of his first home run since 2024, but the Boston Red Sox won the war, Saturday’s game.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 30 May 2026
Connor Schwettman hit a bolt to center field, but was robbed on a diving catch by Eli Irvine.
—John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 May 2026
Lewis, 26, has been tailing off since a precocious start to his major league career, and some (perhaps fairly) wonder if a pair of major knee injuries have robbed him of what should have been, as the kids say, his final form.
—John Shipley, Twin Cities, 29 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for rob
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show current usage.
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Jack Springgate, CBS News, 31 May 2026
The Cleveland Guardians may have won the battle, a replay review that robbed Connor Wong of his first home run since 2024, but the Boston Red Sox won the war, Saturday’s game.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 30 May 2026
Connor Schwettman hit a bolt to center field, but was robbed on a diving catch by Eli Irvine.
—John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 May 2026
Lewis, 26, has been tailing off since a precocious start to his major league career, and some (perhaps fairly) wonder if a pair of major knee injuries have robbed him of what should have been, as the kids say, his final form.
—John Shipley, Twin Cities, 29 May 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 1 Jun. 2026.
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