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
This doesn’t necessarily rule out the possibility of the virus mutating some day to infect humans.
—
Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 24 Aug. 2025
Because Jack and Lilly are still missing, polygraph examinations were conducted with the intention of ruling out that possibility.
—Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Aug. 2025
The move ruled out the possibility of a higher tariff rate for pharmaceuticals, for which Trump had previously threatened levies as high as 250%.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 21 Aug. 2025
The Italian perimeter player was ruled out with a left calf strain midway through the first quarter.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rule out
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Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 24 Aug. 2025
Because Jack and Lilly are still missing, polygraph examinations were conducted with the intention of ruling out that possibility.
—Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Aug. 2025
The move ruled out the possibility of a higher tariff rate for pharmaceuticals, for which Trump had previously threatened levies as high as 250%.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 21 Aug. 2025
The Italian perimeter player was ruled out with a left calf strain midway through the first quarter.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 20 Aug. 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 27 Aug. 2025.
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