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
Wiser heads, though, can see that the fraud also robbed funds from those who needed them the most and that rooting out fraud should not be a partisan issue.
—
The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026
Increasingly under the spotlight, Walz, who is up for reelection this year, has taken several actions to combat the scams, including directing state agencies to intensify their efforts to identify and root out fraud.
—Christopher Cann, USA Today, 2 Jan. 2026
Israel says the operation aims to root out armed groups and says the demolitions are needed to destroy militant infrastructure or to clear routes for troops.
—Aref Tufaha, Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2025
These include restrictions on the Internet and social media and surveillance measures intended to root out spies and saboteurs.
—Mohammad Javad Zarif, Foreign Affairs, 22 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for root out
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The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026
Increasingly under the spotlight, Walz, who is up for reelection this year, has taken several actions to combat the scams, including directing state agencies to intensify their efforts to identify and root out fraud.
—Christopher Cann, USA Today, 2 Jan. 2026
Israel says the operation aims to root out armed groups and says the demolitions are needed to destroy militant infrastructure or to clear routes for troops.
—Aref Tufaha, Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2025
These include restrictions on the Internet and social media and surveillance measures intended to root out spies and saboteurs.
—Mohammad Javad Zarif, Foreign Affairs, 22 Dec. 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 8 Jan. 2026.
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