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
But athletes agree that there’s something special about NST, with its fusion of freestyle and freeride and its head-to-head format designed to root out the world’s best men and women in their respective disciplines.
—
Michelle Bruton, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 2025
The best way to protect Social Security is by rooting out mismanagement — and not cutting benefits — writes Armstrong Williams.
—Armstrong Williams, Baltimore Sun, 8 Apr. 2025
Over the years, the agency has regularly rooted out corruption schemes, fraud and abuse in the Police Department, city jails and other agencies.
—Jan Ransom, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2025
Musk and Trump say the cuts are needed to root out fraud and waste, but their critics contend DOGE is targeting vital programs and services that benefit Americans.
—Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for root out
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.
Michelle Bruton, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 2025
The best way to protect Social Security is by rooting out mismanagement — and not cutting benefits — writes Armstrong Williams.
—Armstrong Williams, Baltimore Sun, 8 Apr. 2025
Over the years, the agency has regularly rooted out corruption schemes, fraud and abuse in the Police Department, city jails and other agencies.
—Jan Ransom, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2025
Musk and Trump say the cuts are needed to root out fraud and waste, but their critics contend DOGE is targeting vital programs and services that benefit Americans.
—Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Mar. 2025
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 2 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share