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
  • The second inferno killed 12 people, destroyed 6,500 structures across the Palisades and Malibu and cost billions in damage and insurance claims.
    Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 24 June 2026
  • In Paradise, California, a community destroyed by wildfire adopted the ‘Wildfire Prepared Home Standard’ as its mandatory rebuilding benchmark.
    Nina Seega, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026
Verb
  • His father, Manuel Cepeda, was a prominent figure in the Colombian Communist Party, and was assassinated in 1994 during a particularly bloody era in Colombia's internal conflict.
    David Unsworth, FOXNews.com, 23 June 2026
  • Last year, on September 10th, Kirk was assassinated in the midst of a debate, in front of some three thousand people at Utah Valley University.
    Eliza Griswold, New Yorker, 22 June 2026
Verb
  • Decades after a deadly virus known as GRID was said to have eradicated homosexuality, a suburban family’s pristine life unravels the day their teenage son starts to uncover the truth.
    Joe Otterson, Variety, 25 June 2026
  • Health officials are warning that the New World screwworm, a flesh-eating parasite once thought eradicated from the US, has resurfaced and is threatening cattle, wildlife and pets.
    Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 22 June 2026
Verb
  • Its front-facing design deters pickpockets, while the water-resistant fabric protects your phone from surprise downpours or sweaty adventure days—because no one wants their phone ruined halfway through a trip.
    Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 24 June 2026
  • In practice, organic liquids like crude oil ruined everything.
    Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 18 June 2026
Verb
  • Thirty years after she was murdered, Aimee Willard is still honoring her legacy with a garden of sunflowers in Delaware County.
    Joe Holden, CBS News, 23 June 2026
  • Later on, Jaehaerys II is murdered in the episode’s climax.
    Skyler Trepel, PEOPLE, 22 June 2026
Verb
  • The equalizing goal erased Sane’s early sting, which didn’t come without controversy.
    Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 25 June 2026
  • By the time the boundary issues were partially corrected in the 1960s, both the cemetery and the surrounding Black community had been largely erased from public memory.
    Kamal Morgan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 June 2026
Verb
  • The Bills’ former stadium, called Highmark Stadium, is in the process of being demolished.
    John Wawrow, Chicago Tribune, 28 June 2026
  • But a landmark designation could take about nine months and ultimately buildings can still be demolished, under state law.
    Desiree Mathurin, Charlotte Observer, 27 June 2026
Verb
  • Invoices are processed through email and digital systems, and payments are executed across interconnected platforms.
    Laurent Charpentier, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026
  • According to the Pasadena Police Department, a search warrant was executed on what appeared to be a marijuana dispensary at 6316 Whittier Boulevard in the City of Los Angeles, where fireworks allegedly intended for distribution were found.
    Austin Turner, CBS News, 23 June 2026

Cite this Entry

“Rubbed out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rubbed%20out. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.

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