as in polished
having a shiny surface or finish
the rubbed brass of the wall sconce showed my reflection
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in eroded
to damage or diminish by continued friction
the brake pads were rubbed away as a result of years of use
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in scraped
to make smooth by friction
the furniture restorer rubbed the board perfectly smooth with sandpaper
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in smoothed
to make smooth or glossy usually by repeatedly applying surface pressure
the butler rubbed the silver tea set until it gleamed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rubbed
Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 5 Apr. 2026
After a half-hour of this, Didier emptied out much of the salt and vigorously rubbed the interior of the pan with a kitchen towel.
—Jeffrey Steingarten, Vogue, 5 Apr. 2026
Where there hadn't been any beef between the singers before recording the song, a chasm formed between them as industry politics rubbed them the wrong way.
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Mar. 2026
His grandiose persona rubbed many the wrong way early on, earning him a villain label.
—Pamela Chelin, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2026
And Jesse Leasure, who was drenched in pepper spray and felt like his skin was on fire and as though someone had rubbed his eyeballs with sandpaper.
—Olivia George, Washington Post, 20 Mar. 2026
The smaller tires also eliminated gear hunting while going up a grade on the highway (which used to drive me nuts), and the tires no longer rubbed when the steering wheel was at full lock.
—Bryan Rogala, Outside, 19 Mar. 2026
Your basic latex makeup wedges, dampened and rubbed against the stain.
—Sophia Panych, Allure, 11 Mar. 2026
That Docter chose to single out the axeing of a minor LGBTQ storyline and use it as an example of Pixar’s therapy-esque narratives — which Docter, as a storyteller himself, is most closely associated with — has rubbed many the wrong way.
—Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 10 Mar. 2026
Verb
UConn’s success, coupled with Hurley’s personality, has rubbed more than a few folks the wrong way.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 5 Apr. 2026
After a half-hour of this, Didier emptied out much of the salt and vigorously rubbed the interior of the pan with a kitchen towel.
—Jeffrey Steingarten, Vogue, 5 Apr. 2026
Where there hadn't been any beef between the singers before recording the song, a chasm formed between them as industry politics rubbed them the wrong way.
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Mar. 2026
His grandiose persona rubbed many the wrong way early on, earning him a villain label.
—Pamela Chelin, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2026
And Jesse Leasure, who was drenched in pepper spray and felt like his skin was on fire and as though someone had rubbed his eyeballs with sandpaper.
—Olivia George, Washington Post, 20 Mar. 2026
The smaller tires also eliminated gear hunting while going up a grade on the highway (which used to drive me nuts), and the tires no longer rubbed when the steering wheel was at full lock.
—Bryan Rogala, Outside, 19 Mar. 2026
Your basic latex makeup wedges, dampened and rubbed against the stain.
—Sophia Panych, Allure, 11 Mar. 2026
That Docter chose to single out the axeing of a minor LGBTQ storyline and use it as an example of Pixar’s therapy-esque narratives — which Docter, as a storyteller himself, is most closely associated with — has rubbed many the wrong way.
—Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 10 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rubbed
Adjective
-
Individual cottages with modern interiors are set up in mini neighborhoods and have fireplaces with polished concrete hearths, heated floors, and floor-to-ceiling glass bifold doors leading to landscaped gardens.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Think compression packing cubes that help tame chaos, comfy sneakers for full days of walking, a polished matching set that multitasks, and genius travel accessories that keep everything organized.—
Chaise Sanders,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Governor Kathy Hochul's once-commanding lead over Republican Bruce Blakeman has eroded by half in three months, collapsing from 26 points in January to just 13 points, according to the latest Siena Research Institute poll.—
Jesus Mesa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The church’s conservative views on social issues including same-sex partnerships and women in leadership have eroded its relationships with more liberal iterations of the Anglican Communion, particularly in Britain and North America.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Bird poop scraped off a man’s car appeared on a drug test as cocaine.—
Holly Yan,
CNN Money,
5 Apr. 2026
-
The next day, the eggs bonded tightly to the metal and could be neither folded nor rolled nor, indeed, actually extracted from the pan or even scraped from it.—
Jeffrey Steingarten,
Vogue,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The looming canyon nearly obscures sunlight, and sinuous, layered stone reveals warm burgundy, grey, and violet striations smoothed by centuries of flooding.—
Madison Chapman,
Outside,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Fronting the glittering waters of the Atlantic, the Louis XIII-style promenade is currently undergoing a multi-million-dollar renewal, its granite tiles buffed and smoothed, vegetation planted, and its sea lions by sculptor José Fioravanti returned to their former glory.—
Siobhan Reid,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
My colleagues, meanwhile, used forceps to pick glistening scale worms and peanut worms from the rocks.—
Jeffrey Marlow,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
-
All of whom were mesmerized by her glistening skin and deeply sensual eyes, which often require nothing but black mascara.—
Essence,
Essence,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In 2025, players from five teams wore shirts bearing the name of an important woman in their lives, instead of their names.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Charlotte wore a tan coat by Catherine Walker, a favorite designer of her mom’s, over a dress by Self-Portrait, the same brand that made Middleton’s all-cream outfit for the occasion, per People.—
Elizabeth Logan,
Glamour,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Attention spans are being sanded down, vocabulary is becoming consumer-friendly.—
Hannah Gold,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Then the wood must dry, then be sanded, stained and carved.—
AJ Willingham,
AJC.com,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The publication adds that the finished product is coated with a cheese seasoning blend that includes oil and powdered ingredients, contributing to its distinctive texture and durability.—
Claire Dodds,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2026
-
These panels are coated with a photothermal dye that captures and converts sunlight into heat.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rubbed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rubbed. Accessed 9 Apr. 2026.
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