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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in assassinated
to put to death deliberately
an elaborate setup to rub out rival mobsters
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in eradicated
to destroy all traces of
a promise to rub out the city's drug trade
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rubbed out
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
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
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It was moved a day later to a naval base on the mainland for inspection and the explosives were later destroyed, according to Greece’s public broadcaster, ERT.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 May 2026
-
The surge triggered severe erosion, damaged the powerhouse and nearby switchyards, washed debris into the North Yuba River and destroyed portions of Lake Francis Road.—
Nicole Buss,
Sacbee.com,
12 May 2026
Verb
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Later that evening, Lennon was assassinated outside of his apartment building, rendering the interview his final words spoken on the record.—
Vikram Murthi,
IndieWire,
15 May 2026
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After Israel assassinated Hamas’ other leaders, including Yahya Sinwar, his brother Mohammed Sinwar, and Mohammed Deif, al-Haddad was considered to be one of the militant group’s top decision makers.—
Eugenia Yosef,
CNN Money,
15 May 2026
Verb
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Pluckebaum said, using a term that means a community has essentially eradicated homelessness.—
Ishani Desai,
Sacbee.com,
7 May 2026
-
In a few isolated locations, when aggressive actions were taken shortly after the mussels were detected, fledgling populations were eradicated.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
3 May 2026
Verb
-
On Friday, a pitchers’ duel was ruined by a circus act of an inning, and the Cardinals beat the Padres 6-0.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 May 2026
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And then to add insult to that heaping helping of figurative injury, the nachos took some collateral damage and were effectively ruined.—
Matt Reigle OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
Verb
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He was arrested in May 2024 and was later charged with Vesey’s killing while behind bars, with investigators revealing she had been murdered inside her apartment the day after her 21st birthday on July 12, 1980, officials said.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
18 May 2026
-
Which is horrible, just that amount of women being murdered.—
Ellise Shafer,
Variety,
17 May 2026
Verb
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Lehmann considers the contested history of Anne Boleyn, the outlandish accusations against her, and the ways in which her image has been erased and changed over time.—
Fiction Non Fiction,
Literary Hub,
14 May 2026
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Finlayson said that students at the school found his LinkedIn reply before the post's author erased the thread, leading to outcry.—
Beth Bailey,
FOXNews.com,
14 May 2026
Verb
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This caused immediate backlash, particularly as the East Wing was recently demolished during ongoing renovation work.—
StyleCaster Editors,
StyleCaster,
16 May 2026
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There, on the Hudson River waterfront, David Wojnarowicz wrote poems and painted murals alongside Luis Frangella and Mike Bidlo, while Peter Hujar and Dirk Rowntree photographed scenes of impromptu happenings and performances, before the site was demolished in 1984.—
Natalia Torija,
Curbed,
14 May 2026
Verb
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That contradiction — an audacious creative vision executed on a shoestring — sits at the heart of what has made Oldenburg one of Europe’s most beloved indie showcases.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
12 May 2026
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On March 12, 2025, a search warrant was executed at Sohaib’s home in Alexandria.—
Nate Anderson,
ArsTechnica,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rubbed out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rubbed%20out. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
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