rule out
verb
ruled out; ruling out; rules out
2
: to make impossible : prevent
Heavy rain ruled out the picnic.
Examples of rule out in a Sentence
another loss would rule them out of the tournament
Recent Examples on the Web
The initial proposal offered limited security guarantees and called on Ukraine to hand over territory to Russia, something Zelenskyy has repeatedly ruled out.
—
Rebecca Rosman, NPR, 8 Dec. 2025
The southern-most viewing line slices just north of Indiana, but that doesn't rule out Indiana's chances.
—John Tufts, IndyStar, 8 Dec. 2025
On Wednesday the chance of rain is low, but a few showers can't be ruled out.
—Lissette Gonzalez, CBS News, 8 Dec. 2025
As expected, Embiid was ruled out for the second night of a back-to-back set.
—Justin Grasso, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rule 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.
Rebecca Rosman, NPR, 8 Dec. 2025
The southern-most viewing line slices just north of Indiana, but that doesn't rule out Indiana's chances.
—John Tufts, IndyStar, 8 Dec. 2025
On Wednesday the chance of rain is low, but a few showers can't be ruled out.
—Lissette Gonzalez, CBS News, 8 Dec. 2025
As expected, Embiid was ruled out for the second night of a back-to-back set.
—Justin Grasso, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rule out
Cite this Entry
“Rule out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rule%20out. Accessed 9 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share