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
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The Trump administration previously requested that the Supreme Court intervene, arguing that the DOGE team needed access to these systems in order to root out waste and inefficiency within the federal government. Anna Commander, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 June 2025 Sheinbaum, a member of Mexico's ruling party, Morena, rejected the criticisms and insisted the election would only make Mexico more democratic and root out corruption in a system that most people in the country believe is broken. MarÍa Verza, Arkansas Online, 3 June 2025 The Trump administration ordered federal agencies this month to abandon the use of a legal tool designed to root out discrimination. Troy Closson, New York Times, 30 May 2025 The Jewish state's military action in Gaza, seeking to root out Hamas in the wake of its Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel, has sparked protest against Jerusalem throughout the United States. Selina Guevara, NBC news, 23 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for root out

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Cite this Entry

“Root out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/root%20out. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.

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