1
as in destroying
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
2
as in murdering
to put to death deliberately
an elaborate setup to rub out rival mobsters
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in eradicating
to destroy all traces of
a promise to rub out the city's drug trade
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rubbing out
Verb
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And candidates who stoked fear in voters — with the threat of towering multi-family complexes destroying their communities or costly local infrastructure projects driving up taxes — lost by clear margins.—
Taylor O'Connor,
Kansas City Star,
7 Nov. 2025 -
Derek Lopez, 27, was fired from his role at the university after he was caught on camera destroying a Turning Point display.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Johnson, Evans and Pascal – and while certainly thoughtful, the film's strengths are upended by a mood-murdering melancholy.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
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In the worst killing spree in Germany’s post-war history, a former nurse was jailed in 2019 for life for murdering 85 of his patients.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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That's where the goal of eradicating invasive species comes into play.—
Michael Nied,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
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Sixth-generation Texas rancher James Clement III told CNBC the key to eradicating the screwworm threat is years out.—
Lori Ann LaRocco,
CNBC,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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And, from this week’s issue, Nicola Twilley’s reporting on another lingering effect of the wildfires—smoke taint that is ruining grapes and threatening California’s wine industry.—
Dana Goodyear,
New Yorker,
7 Jan. 2026
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The video then shows the man asking if the situation was ruining Kaleel's Christmas.—
Jade Jackson,
IndyStar,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Another 33 hours passed before law enforcement arrested 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, the defendant now facing a possible death sentence if found guilty by a jury in Utah for allegedly assassinating Kirk.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
15 Dec. 2025
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The remainder of my life will be dedicated to assassinating judges, attorneys, and a police station's entire shift staff.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
4 Dec. 2025
Verb
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These services do all the work for you by actively monitoring and systematically erasing your personal information from hundreds of websites.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
8 Nov. 2025
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Rising sea levels and relentless storms are erasing land faster than locals – or officials – can respond.—
Samantha Delouya,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Yet for all of Malinin’s athleticism and his Beamonesque ability to take flight what has been most telling in what has already been a world record-shattering Olympic season has been the maturity of his skating, the willingness to take emotional risks in his programs.—
Scott M. Reid,
Oc Register,
6 Jan. 2026
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Bana and Rocha were among the 615 participants in the 27th annual Waukegan Polar Bear Plunge on Thursday at the Waukegan Municipal Beach, shattering the record of 540 set in 2024, and collectively raising more than $20,000 for Special Recreation Services of Northern Lake County.—
Steve Sadin,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The number of homebuyers taking out VA loans also increased in August, rising 3 percent year-over-year nationwide—bucking the trend observed for conventional loans, which declined 9 percent year-over-year in the same month.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
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Literally sitting on the ground, probably kneeling and just watching the television, taking out the tape, rewinding it, putting it back in and watching it over and over again.—
Jack Irvin,
PEOPLE,
6 Nov. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Rubbing out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rubbing%20out. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
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