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
The clips allegedly showed Hanson urinating on food, spitting into containers, stomping on food items and rubbing them on his body before they were served to customers, per court documents and reporting by KCTV5, KMBC 9 and The Kansas City Star.
—
Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2025
On the floor of their tiny makeshift home in a refugee camp in Bangladesh, her mother Fatima Begum feeds Sofiya by rubbing her gums with a food paste designed to treat severe malnutrition.
—Rebecca Wright, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2025
They have been recorded grabbing toxic millipedes and, rather than avoiding them, chewing and rubbing the secretions into their fur, especially around sensitive areas.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2025
Add the remaining oil mixture and turn the chicken to coat, rubbing the oil between the skin and meat.
—Lynda Balslev, Mercury News, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rubbing
Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2025
On the floor of their tiny makeshift home in a refugee camp in Bangladesh, her mother Fatima Begum feeds Sofiya by rubbing her gums with a food paste designed to treat severe malnutrition.
—Rebecca Wright, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2025
They have been recorded grabbing toxic millipedes and, rather than avoiding them, chewing and rubbing the secretions into their fur, especially around sensitive areas.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2025
Add the remaining oil mixture and turn the chicken to coat, rubbing the oil between the skin and meat.
—Lynda Balslev, Mercury News, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rubbing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rubbing
Verb
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Two men sat on either side of her, one in a hat with WHO RESCUED WHO stitched across it and the other wearing a pearl-button shirt.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Nov. 2025
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Madden brought an '80s rocker vibe to show, wearing a skull on his belt and a bandana on his head.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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And when daily wear and tear was simulated – through continuous electric-toothbrush abrasion equivalent to about a year of brushing, as well as chewing and grinding – the teeth actually had superior resistance to wear, fracture and acid attack compared with natural enamel.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
5 Nov. 2025
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After more than a decade grinding in the pop machine, something about Zara Larsson finally clicked this summer.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Its style was in many ways a refinement of the final run of Diablos, smoothing and polishing the old car’s edges while adding strength and modernity to the design.—
Will Sabel Courtney,
Robb Report,
6 Nov. 2025
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At one point, convinced that one of the screenwriters who was on set polishing the script was leaking information to Weinstein, Scorsese rushed into the office and flung his desk out the window.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Most recently, in 2022, the county had completed a more than $18 million project for beach nourishment, which is the process of adding sand to an eroding beach to widen it.—
Samantha Delouya,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
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Meanwhile, a recent constitutional reform that gave Mexico’s ruling party control over all three branches of government has fed fears of rising state control over the economy, eroding confidence.—
Jeronimo Gonzalez,
semafor.com,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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At a time when the Mavericks need as much good will, or PR, as possible, filing a lawsuit against the Dallas Stars is petty, small and mean.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 Nov. 2025
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Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, wrote in a letter to Trump that Maxwell is working on filing a commutation application, citing an unnamed whistleblower.—
Erin Mansfield,
USA Today,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Get your baker friend a full-sized one for smoothing buttercream over cakes, and a mini one for more precise tasks.—
Alaina Chou,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
10 Nov. 2025
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It’s designed with side-smoothing panels, separated cups, and wide, adjustable straps.—
Jamie Allison Sanders,
PEOPLE,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
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However, India’s bilateral strategy is fraying.—
Pintu Kumar Mahla,
The Conversation,
3 Nov. 2025
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Ride Cadence Snowboard Boot But last season, due to general wear and tear, the metal cable of my laces started fraying.—
Lisa Jhung,
Outside,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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However, deteriorating or disturbed lead paint — through sanding or stripping — can create toxic dust that poses serious health hazards, particularly to children.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
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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
Cite this Entry
“Rubbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rubbing. Accessed 14 Nov. 2025.
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