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
Penske says roughly 20% of Google searches leading to its sites now display AI Overviews — and, here’s the rub, that those summaries lift material from publishers’ work, answer the user’s query directly on the results page, and keep readers from clicking through.
—
Andy Meek, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
What soothes the rub is having developed a stronger sense of self, which got lost in Fox’s quest for protection and attention via conventional beauty.
—Nicola Dall'asen, Allure, 19 Aug. 2025
How a developer qualifies is the rub.
—Calmatters, Mercury News, 12 Aug. 2025
But here’s the rub: Dream’s prison is one of his own making.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 22 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for the rub
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Andy Meek, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
What soothes the rub is having developed a stronger sense of self, which got lost in Fox’s quest for protection and attention via conventional beauty.
—Nicola Dall'asen, Allure, 19 Aug. 2025
How a developer qualifies is the rub.
—Calmatters, Mercury News, 12 Aug. 2025
But here’s the rub: Dream’s prison is one of his own making.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 22 July 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 Sep. 2025.
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