as in murder
the intentional and unlawful taking of another person's life
the mafia boss ordered a rubout as casually as you might order a pizza
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in to destroy
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of
aerial bombs rubbed out the oil refinery
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to assassinate
to put to death deliberately
an elaborate setup to rub out rival mobsters
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to eradicate
to destroy all traces of
a promise to rub out the city's drug trade
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of rubout
John Annese, New York Daily News, 24 Mar. 2024
Each wipe comes pre-soaked in Shout stain fighter and is designed with a textured surface that creates extra friction to rub out stains.
—Katherine Alex Beaven, Travel + Leisure, 27 Nov. 2023
Leach, subsequently dealt from the Seals to the Flyers in May 1974, won the Cup with the Broad Streeters in ‘75 and amassed his 19 the following spring, when they were rubbed out by the Canadiens, 4-0, in the Cup Final.
—Kevin Paul Dupont, BostonGlobe.com, 13 May 2023
But church officials warn that secularization more than anything led them to rub out the godparents, a Sicilian thing that’s been going on for 2,000 years, or at least since the church’s dicey first days, when sponsors known to bishops vouched for converts to prevent pagan infiltration.
—New York Times, 16 Oct. 2021
See All Example Sentences for rubout
Verb
Even so, the line about YB is specific enough to stay, since the suspects are accused of conspiring to rub out his killer, Cogan stated.
—John Annese, New York Daily News, 24 Mar. 2024
Each wipe comes pre-soaked in Shout stain fighter and is designed with a textured surface that creates extra friction to rub out stains.
—Katherine Alex Beaven, Travel + Leisure, 27 Nov. 2023
Leach, subsequently dealt from the Seals to the Flyers in May 1974, won the Cup with the Broad Streeters in ‘75 and amassed his 19 the following spring, when they were rubbed out by the Canadiens, 4-0, in the Cup Final.
—Kevin Paul Dupont, BostonGlobe.com, 13 May 2023
But church officials warn that secularization more than anything led them to rub out the godparents, a Sicilian thing that’s been going on for 2,000 years, or at least since the church’s dicey first days, when sponsors known to bishops vouched for converts to prevent pagan infiltration.
—New York Times, 16 Oct. 2021
See All Example Sentences for rubout
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rubout
Noun
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After being taken to the precinct to speak with detectives, Stevenson was booked into the Shasta County Jail on a murder charge, where he is being held without bail.—
Chris Spargo,
People.com,
3 Sep. 2025
-
At the time of the murder, Dominic was visiting his father against his mother’s wishes, court documents reveal.—
David Goodhue,
Miami Herald,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Acosta allowed it, and IMG destroyed them.—
Alec Lewis,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
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Later, Howard calls Matt and agrees to cut the sequence but also threatens to destroy him.—
Carson Blackwelder,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
There was huge outrage and debate at the time around the idea that the American president could assassinate an American citizen extrajudicially, in violation of his Constitutional rights.—
Carlo Versano,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
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The series follows Agent 47, a contract killer who travels to different destinations across the world to assassinate targets.—
George Yang,
Vulture,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Bonacini wants gold — a sterilizing cure that eradicates every trace of the virus and cannot return.—
Jia H. Jung,
Mercury News,
1 Sep. 2025
-
Israel's government says the offensive is aimed at eradicating Hamas, which still holds Israeli hostages.—
Aya Batrawy,
NPR,
1 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Johnson’s dishonesty doesn’t even take into consideration the carnage from the homicides of yesteryear in the Windy City.—
Christopher Tremoglie,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Sep. 2025
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He was convicted in October 2022 on six counts first-degree intentional homicide, 61 counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety, six counts of hit and run involving death and two counts of bail jumping, all felonies, plus one count of misdemeanor battery.—
Jim Riccioli,
jsonline.com,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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To avoid the busiest times, try to visit the wall and the main church ruins early in the morning or later in the afternoon when most tour groups have moved on.—
David Nikel,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
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Helene cost him less than 10 percent of that collection, thousands of seeds ruined when his freezers lost power and frost melted.—
Lila Hempel-Edgers,
Charlotte Observer,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Mangione is accused of slaying UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson late last year.—
Jonathan Alpert,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
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Men and boys have been targeted and slain on ethnic grounds.—
Jade Walker,
CNN Money,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But the party ended not long after kickoff, in a brutal blowout loss that managed to erase nine months of hope and hype in a single 60-minute package.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
3 Sep. 2025
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The latest federal labor data shows mothers are leaving their jobs at rates that threaten to erase the fragile gains made during the pandemic recovery.—
Jennifer Jay Palumbo,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rubout.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rubout. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.
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