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
  • Firefighters battling a blaze that destroyed six homes in south Orange County can expect a bit of reprieve Saturday afternoon as Santa Ana winds begin to die down.
    — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Its owners, a family of three, left for a cruise before the remnants of Tropical Storm Rachel destroyed their property.
    — Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC news, 17 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • This is where Catto was assassinated 155 years ago during a tumultuous Election Day in 1871.
    — Timothy Welbeck, The Conversation, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Yeah, people just want to see if I really did get assassinated by Madonna’s Cartel.
    — Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 8 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Yet, we’re told by this administration that non-citizen voting is rampant and must be eradicated.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 14 Oct. 2026
  • How mouthwash affects your oral microbiome The oral microbiome is not a collection of pathogens to be eradicated.
    — Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 5 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Janice was disgusted; Mary was emotionally devastated and financially ruined.
    — Ben Taub, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Totally ruined by introducing too many plot lines that were pointless or opened up and left alone without closure.
    — David Hookstead OutKick, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The flow of money from Qatar into Gaza has taken on new significance since October 7, 2023, when Hamas terrorists stormed southern Israel, murdered some 1,200 people, and took 251 more hostage.
    — Eric Cortellessa, Time, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The child was Leslie Ann Downey, one of five victims murdered by Ian Brady and Myra Hindley between 1963 and 1965.
    — Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 17 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • His apprehension turned into anger when the city’s Department of Transportation erased the DIY crosswalks two months later.
    — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Musk effectively erased that trade-off, supplying enough money to build a dedicated financial firewall around Paxton without forcing the party to pull resources from other battlegrounds.
    — Luke Fountain, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • That includes what else could get demolished or built, beyond the stadium and team headquarters.
    — Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The island is the former home of a Renault factory, which was active for most of the 20th century and demolished in 2005.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 14 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Instead of flying the drone remotely with individual controls, the F-22 pilot sent high-level tactical instructions that the drone’s onboard autonomy software interpreted and executed.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
  • There's no one character who came up with the idea and executed it … the existence of AI today comes down to many papers, many individual discoveries, and a whole lot of obsession.
    — Cooper Katz McKim, NPR, 16 Oct. 2026

Cite this Entry

“Rubbed out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rubbed%20out. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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