the rub
noun
formal
: something that causes a difficulty or problem
She's an amazing cook, but she rarely has time to make meals. There's the rub.
Therein/There lies the rub.
Examples of the rub in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
But here's the rub: Vic and Al's operates as a counter-service establishment and doesn't take reservations.
—
Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
Therein lies the rub of the SEC and ACC playing eight conference games, while the Big Ten and Big 12 play nine.
—Blake Toppmeyer, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
And here’s the rub: amid all the complaints about how Democrats should be more coordinated, no one is really speaking with confidence about how Democratic leaders should be treading at this moment.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 23 June 2025
Here’s the rub: first choice for Captain America: Brave New World is higher than Superman‘s by 71% at the same point in time.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 19 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for the rub
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Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
Therein lies the rub of the SEC and ACC playing eight conference games, while the Big Ten and Big 12 play nine.
—Blake Toppmeyer, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
And here’s the rub: amid all the complaints about how Democrats should be more coordinated, no one is really speaking with confidence about how Democratic leaders should be treading at this moment.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 23 June 2025
Here’s the rub: first choice for Captain America: Brave New World is higher than Superman‘s by 71% at the same point in time.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 19 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for the rub
Cite this Entry
“The rub.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20rub. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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