1
as in wearing
to damage or diminish by continued friction
the brake pads were rubbed away as a result of years of use
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in grinding
to make smooth by friction
the furniture restorer rubbed the board perfectly smooth with sandpaper
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in polishing
to make smooth or glossy usually by repeatedly applying surface pressure
the butler rubbed the silver tea set until it gleamed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rubbing
When the hook comes back around, he’s still posted in that corner, this time rubbing his hands together like a Birdman reaction gif.
—
Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 10 Feb. 2026
Videos show Earle rubbing Brady's back and whispering in his ear.
—Christina Perrier, InStyle, 9 Feb. 2026
Remove any dead, diseased, crossing, or rubbing branches.
—Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 9 Feb. 2026
Other times, viburnums may require a modest amount of shaping, such as removing branches that are rubbing against each other or the surroundings, or becoming a nuisance or safety hazard.
—Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rubbing
Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 10 Feb. 2026
Videos show Earle rubbing Brady's back and whispering in his ear.
—Christina Perrier, InStyle, 9 Feb. 2026
Remove any dead, diseased, crossing, or rubbing branches.
—Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 9 Feb. 2026
Other times, viburnums may require a modest amount of shaping, such as removing branches that are rubbing against each other or the surroundings, or becoming a nuisance or safety hazard.
—Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rubbing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rubbing
Verb
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Take Keke Palmer in a butter yellow and cream vintage Dior bustier dress with a scarf-tie waist, or Kate Hudson, who combined all the mid-10s and boho trends by wearing a leathery peplum and balloon pants by Chloé.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
16 Feb. 2026
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The post comes days after Meghan made a surprise solo appearance at the Fifteen Percent Pledge Gala in Los Angeles, wearing a dusty rose Harbison Studio gown with black piping and a dramatic black cape.—
Kim Willis,
USA Today,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Russia currently controls around 20% of Ukrainian land, but over almost four years of grinding war, those territorial gains are thought to have cost Russia over a million casualties.—
Holly Williams,
CBS News,
17 Feb. 2026
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This week, the optimism of spring has given way to the grinding reality of the sport, all before teams conducted their first workouts.—
Andy McCullough,
New York Times,
12 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Unlike other countries that merely export their commodities, Botswana has created jobs by developing a local diamond-cutting and polishing industry, alongside jewellery manufacturing.—
Alexis Akwagyiram,
semafor.com,
20 Feb. 2026
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Lint-free cotton cloths are best for polishing and buffing silver flatware and serving pieces.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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This has caused widespread confusion for voters and staff alike, disrupting service delivery and eroding the relationship between constituents and their representatives.—
Rachel Royster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
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The continent’s eroding religious traditions and cultural loyalties, and its surging population of Muslim migrants, are a constant and gloomy obsession in Dreher’s posts.—
Robert F. Worth,
The Atlantic,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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To receive the award, the authority completed governance transparency requirements including ethics training for all board members, properly conducting open and public meetings and filing financial transactions and compensation reports to the state controller in a timely manner.—
Anne Gelhaus,
Mercury News,
15 Feb. 2026
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Single taxpayers with incomes below $100,000, married filing jointly couples earning less than $150,000, and married filing separately couples below $75,000 are exempt from Social Security tax.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The three compressions are Spanxsmooth Swim, which is light compression for barely there smoothing; Spanxshape Swim, medium compression for a little more tummy control and shaping, and Spanxsculpt Swim, strong compression that cinches and snatches.—
Lisa Lockwood,
Footwear News,
11 Feb. 2026
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Appealing Venus is parading into your 6th House of Habits, bringing sweetness to routines and smoothing dynamics, which suits a diplomatic style of handling events.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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On a recent walk around Manhattan, for instance, Hadid paired blue jeans with a raw, fraying hem with classic loafers, a perfect combination of hippie and preppy.—
Elizabeth Logan,
Glamour,
10 Feb. 2026
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His voting coalition is fraying, too.—
Domenico Montanaro,
NPR,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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City of Dallas has only eight snow plows The city of Dallas has only eight snow plows and about 100 sanding trucks for 11,700 lane miles of roads, forcing it to prioritize.—
Julia James,
Dallas Morning News,
6 Feb. 2026
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Before those efforts, crews will continue sanding operations around the city to treat roads this week.—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rubbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rubbing. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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