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
When planted in the ground, a plant sends roots out far and wide to provide structural support, but that doesn’t happen in a pot.
—
Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Apr. 2026
Democrats still trail on crime and safety, where a slim majority of Latinos trust Republicans more, as well as in efforts to root out government waste.
—Andres Oppenheimer, Miami Herald, 16 Apr. 2026
As the castle’s internal order collapses under the weight of a string of baffling crimes, Araki strikes a fragile alliance with Kuroda Kanbei – a razor-minded captive languishing in his own dungeon – in a race to root out a traitor before Oda’s army closes in.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 14 Apr. 2026
Given the right’s fixation on rooting out fraud, perhaps the administration should scrutinize the military-industrial complex before calling for a massive spending increase.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for root out
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Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Apr. 2026
Democrats still trail on crime and safety, where a slim majority of Latinos trust Republicans more, as well as in efforts to root out government waste.
—Andres Oppenheimer, Miami Herald, 16 Apr. 2026
As the castle’s internal order collapses under the weight of a string of baffling crimes, Araki strikes a fragile alliance with Kuroda Kanbei – a razor-minded captive languishing in his own dungeon – in a race to root out a traitor before Oda’s army closes in.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 14 Apr. 2026
Given the right’s fixation on rooting out fraud, perhaps the administration should scrutinize the military-industrial complex before calling for a massive spending increase.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 13 Apr. 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 20 Apr. 2026.
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