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
Several deal specifically with the issue of insider trading, while others are broader and seek to root out other activity on the platform, including sports betting.
—
Justin Papp, CNBC, 22 May 2026
In dog sports like obedience or agility, handlers are in charge, but in barn hunt, the dog is the team captain, said Robin Nuttall, who started the barn hunt in 2012 to prove that her miniature pinscher, Zipper, could root out vermin as she had been bred to do.
—Ross Mantle, New York Times, 21 May 2026
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
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.
Justin Papp, CNBC, 22 May 2026
In dog sports like obedience or agility, handlers are in charge, but in barn hunt, the dog is the team captain, said Robin Nuttall, who started the barn hunt in 2012 to prove that her miniature pinscher, Zipper, could root out vermin as she had been bred to do.
—Ross Mantle, New York Times, 21 May 2026
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
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 30 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
