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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of rubbing
Ink Stains Dip a cotton swab in isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol.
—
Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 6 Sep. 2025
These trees are always vulnerable to the male deer, known as bucks, rubbing their antlers on the trunks of the trees.
—Chris McKeown, The Enquirer, 30 Aug. 2025
At times, its puzzle-solving and chaotic arcade shooting felt like patting your head while rubbing your stomach.
—Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
Toes may start rubbing together or overlapping, and the muscles that barefoot walking would normally engage, weaken.
—Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rubbing
Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 6 Sep. 2025
These trees are always vulnerable to the male deer, known as bucks, rubbing their antlers on the trunks of the trees.
—Chris McKeown, The Enquirer, 30 Aug. 2025
At times, its puzzle-solving and chaotic arcade shooting felt like patting your head while rubbing your stomach.
—Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
Toes may start rubbing together or overlapping, and the muscles that barefoot walking would normally engage, weaken.
—Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rubbing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rubbing
Verb
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Mourners, many of whom were visibly upset and wearing Walmart uniforms, placed electric candles at the memorial.—
Amanda Rosa,
Miami Herald,
10 Sep. 2025
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Citations for not having headlights on during rain, fog or smoke and for not wearing a seatbelt were also dismissed.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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This budget-friendly Presto knife sharpener features a two-stage sharpening system for grinding knife blades and honing them to a polished and sharp finish.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
9 Sep. 2025
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Miley Cyrus shocked viewers by stripping down to a nude bikini top and briefs and grinding, twerking and thrusting on fellow performer Robin Thicke at the 2013 show in one of the raciest performances in MTV history.—
Kate Hogan,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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This is why authorities at the National Park Service, which maintains the statue, have repeatedly rejected any notion of polishing away the green covering.—
Theo Burman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
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Silver Centerpieces For anyone who's ever gotten stuck polishing silver, there's good news.—
Heather Bien,
Southern Living,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Rising living costs, inflation eroding purchasing power, and longer life spans have all made stepping away from the workforce more difficult than ever.—
Aliss Higham,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
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Since 2019, cumulative inflation stands at 26%, eroding any real progress made through job-hopping or promotions.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In addition to the other crimes, court documents note Denis allegedly aided in filing false joint tax returns in 2018, 2019 and 2020, resulting in claims of hundreds of thousands of fraudulent refunds each year.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
14 Sep. 2025
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That means proactive tax compliance planning is more important than ever, including ensuring current compliance by filing all required returns, paying any outstanding liabilities, and meeting foreign asset and accounts information reporting obligations.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Gallant, sleeveless and heavily tattooed, began slowly smoothing a white sheet atop his model’s shoulders.—
Sarah Larson,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025
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The multi-styler comes with all kinds of attachments, including several long barrels, two smoothing brushes, a round volumizing brush, and a smoothing dryer.—
Isabel Garcia,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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What was once envisioned as a vital partnership of the 21st century is fraying—and becoming another source of uncertainty in a world order that seems to be unraveling.—
Vaibhav Vats,
The Atlantic,
10 Sep. 2025
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Advertisement Sports fandom has a special power to connect people, especially at a time when so many of our traditional civic bonds are fraying.—
Todd Rogers,
Time,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Even the DeSantis administration might have some qualms about sanding off crosswalk markings within sight of the club where 49 people died in the early morning hours of June 12, 2016.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
21 Aug. 2025
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The acid can stain or discolor the surface, possibly requiring sanding to remove.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
18 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rubbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rubbing. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
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