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 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
  • Prendergast, whose team discovered the devilish bee in the area, said the sighting of the insect shows the importance of understanding bees before their habitats are destroyed.
    Saleen Martin, USA Today, 11 Nov. 2025
  • The Austrian painter’s record is expected to be shattered again by a monumental, six-foot-tall portrait of a young heiress that was looted by the Nazis and nearly destroyed during World War II.
    Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 11 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Mexican journalist Mauricio Cruz Solís was assassinated shortly after interviewing Manzo in October 2024.
    Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
  • His original, undoctored manuscript even suggests that James might have plotted to have Elizabeth assassinated.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 4 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • The country has also eradicated once-rampant tropical diseases like malaria.
    Angelica Ang, Fortune, 30 Oct. 2025
  • The New World screwworm was successfully eradicated from the United States in 1966.
    Lori Ann LaRocco, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • However her past experiences haven't ruined the actress' trips back home.
    Ralphie Aversa, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
  • That’s why his mistress threw in with Frank to intimidate Dale into a land deal that would have ruined any chance of Chutto’s family ever getting their land back.
    Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Brady is also working with Kudos to adapt The Other Half, Charlotte Vassell’s novel about an ambitious young detective investigating the death of a posh socialite, found murdered on Hampstead Heath.
    Jake Kanter, Deadline, 5 Nov. 2025
  • Paul had been charged with three felony counts, including boating under the influence, and was awaiting trial when he was murdered.
    Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 5 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • The drop in SoftBank shares has erased nearly $50 billion in market cap over two days.
    Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2025
  • For a long time, scientists thought this giant collision erased all signs of what Earth was originally made of.
    Pranjal Malewar, New Atlas, 3 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • In 2024, the abanonded LaGrave Field baseball stadium was demolished.
    Fousia Abdullahi, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Nov. 2025
  • The tall high-rise buildings not demolished in Gaza City are seen in the far distance.
    Daniel Estrin, NPR, 7 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Villages have been burned, civilians executed, and children targeted.
    Kim Aris, Time, 7 Nov. 2025
  • In January 2014, nearly 70 years after George was executed, a judge held a two-day hearing, which included testimony from three of George’s surviving siblings, members of the search party and several experts.
    Equal Justice Initiative, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025

Cite this Entry

“Rubbed out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rubbed%20out. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.

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