root out

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But during the March video conference, Colorado regulators confided to industry lobbyists that the tool for rooting out fraud isn’t working. Christopher Osher, ProPublica, 15 May 2026 Democratic lawmakers say the oversight visits are needed to root out potential problems at the facilities. Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026 In his campaign Magyar promised to restore democratic checks and balances, restore ties with the EU, and root out corruption. Nick Tabor, Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 May 2026 Reduce spending, root out fraud and waste and actually hold agencies accountable. Linh Tat, Oc Register, 4 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for root out

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Root out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/root%20out. Accessed 17 May. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on root out

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster