rubbed out

past tense of rub out
1
as in destroyed
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of aerial bombs rubbed out the oil refinery

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of rubbed out This treacherous gang has phenomenally rubbed out many signatures of independence in a very short time. Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 14 June 2026 But an Irish knock-on rubbed out a try for Jack Conan, and the second chance was turned over by Mann. ABC News, 6 Mar. 2026 No Mob boss, cheerfully decreeing that an inconvenient witness be rubbed out, could be more resolute. Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rubbed out
Verb
  • After the match, Brock Lesnar Oba Femi destroyed Brock Lesnar in their first encounter, which made an already rising Oba Femi into an overnight sensation.
    Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Weeks later in Georgia, the Highway 82 Fire destroyed more than 120 homes – the most lost to a single fire since state records began in the 1950s – while blazes across the Southeast pushed smoke into communities that rarely see it.
    Martin Goillandeau, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • In the days after the Zacatecas slayings, a mayor was assassinated in his office in the central state of Morelos and a journalist was shot dead in Oaxaca, in the south.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2026
  • What happened Vance Boelter, the man who assassinated former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman (D) and her husband at their home last summer, was sentenced on Thursday to two life terms plus 40 years in prison.
    Rafi Schwartz, TheWeek, 24 July 2026
Verb
  • Which fruits and vegetables eradicated polio in the United States?
    Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Aug. 2026
  • TheWorld Health Organization officially declared smallpox eradicated only three years later.
    Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 30 July 2026
Verb
  • Let’s talk about the outfits that get ruined or made irrelevant!
    Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 31 July 2026
  • The spring warrant cited charities, a hospital, other city officials and community members that Parris declined to identify for fear of their reputations being ruined.
    Pat Maio, Daily News, 31 July 2026
Verb
  • One actor who is less likely to return in a present-day capacity is Zayas, whose character, Victor Ochoa, was murdered in the season 1 finale.
    Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 29 July 2026
  • Dennis Rader murdered 10 people in the Wichita, Kansas, area between 1974 and 1991 while living what appeared to be a normal suburban life with his family.
    Sarah Rumpf-Whitten , Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 29 July 2026
Verb
  • In the third inning, the Rockies erased Salvador Perez’s leadoff single as Massey grounded into a double play.
    Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 1 Aug. 2026
  • The boundary between indoor and outdoor living is nearly erased as floor-to-ceiling glass windows and walls are flung open to redefine the term cross-breeze.
    Catherine Dunwoody, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The iconic outdoor mall still has a few places open before it is demolished.
    Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 30 July 2026
  • Etna’s country prevails but is demolished in the process; its people and animals are left wrecked, hungry, and homeless.
    Rachel Vorona Cote, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026
Verb
  • The Bella Twins executed a surprising heel turn, attacking Paige after their tag team loss.
    Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Right-hander Adrian Houser got Manny Machado to pop out, but Tatis and Rengifo executed a double steal and France lined a ball to center to open up a 6-0 lead.
    Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Aug. 2026

Cite this Entry

“Rubbed out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rubbed%20out. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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