root out
phrasal verb
rooted out; rooting out; roots out
1
: to find and remove (something or someone)
The mayor was determined to root out corruption in city government.
2
: to find (something or someone) after searching for a long time
He finally rooted out the cause of the problem.
Examples of root out in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Trump also recently nominated Colin McDonald to serve as the first assistant attorney general in charge of a Justice Department division dedicated to rooting out fraud.
—
Michelle L. Price, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2026
She also would be tasked with promoting Kennedy’s sprawling MAHA agenda, which calls for removing food additives, rooting out conflicts of interest and promoting healthier eating.
—Ali Swenson, Chicago Tribune, 25 Feb. 2026
In the past year, public universities in Texas have been pressured by Republicans at the state and federal level to root out what has been described as liberal bias.
—Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 20 Feb. 2026
To that end, regulators need to be more diligent in rooting out scams.
—Bloomberg Opinion, Twin Cities, 15 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for root out
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Michelle L. Price, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2026
She also would be tasked with promoting Kennedy’s sprawling MAHA agenda, which calls for removing food additives, rooting out conflicts of interest and promoting healthier eating.
—Ali Swenson, Chicago Tribune, 25 Feb. 2026
In the past year, public universities in Texas have been pressured by Republicans at the state and federal level to root out what has been described as liberal bias.
—Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 20 Feb. 2026
To that end, regulators need to be more diligent in rooting out scams.
—Bloomberg Opinion, Twin Cities, 15 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for root out
Cite this Entry
“Root out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/root%20out. Accessed 27 Feb. 2026.
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