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
Americans call the sport soccer, the rest of the world calls it football, and therein lies the rub, the disconnection at the heart of the schizophrenic All-American life of Gilbert Chevalier.
—
Literary Hub, 13 May 2026
Ay, there’s the rub, as Hamlet famously said.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 6 May 2026
That’s the rub with every draft class, really.
—Tim Graham, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
Let the rub do its magic overnight, then bake for 20 minutes.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the rub
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Literary Hub, 13 May 2026
Ay, there’s the rub, as Hamlet famously said.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 6 May 2026
That’s the rub with every draft class, really.
—Tim Graham, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
Let the rub do its magic overnight, then bake for 20 minutes.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 9 Apr. 2026
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 19 May. 2026.
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