rubbing out

Definition of rubbing outnext
present participle of rub out
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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
3

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rubbing out
Verb
  • The court also convicted Han of falsifying the martial law proclamation and destroying it and lying under oath.
    CNN Money, CNN Money, 22 Jan. 2026
  • Where, in the springtime, sudden storms send tornadoes tearing through towns, destroying everything in their wake.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Elliott is accused of murdering retired FBI agent Owen Pollard, who was a partner in VanPoll firearms disposal.
    Oline H. Cogdill, Sun Sentinel, 27 Jan. 2026
  • In 2009, 22-year-old Amanda Knox was wrongfully convicted of murdering her roommate while studying abroad in Italy.
    Erin Lassner, HollywoodReporter, 26 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Global health officials are aiming to replicate the success of eradicating smallpox, which in 1980 became the first disease to be eliminated through human efforts.
    Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 8 Dec. 2025
  • These materials conform precisely to the shape of your unique foot, eradicating extra space in your boots.
    Sergei Poljak, Outside, 16 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • 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
  • The video then shows the man asking if the situation was ruining Kaleel's Christmas.
    Jade Jackson, IndyStar, 6 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • In Michocán in the fall, the Jalisco cartel is accused of assassinating a prominent mayor who had vowed to hold criminals accountable.
    Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 18 Jan. 2026
  • When Oswald is moments away from assassinating JFK, Jake intervenes and fatally shoots Oswald, stopping the assassination from happening.
    Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 13 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • 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, 24 Jan. 2026
  • Its stock has experienced declines exceeding 30% within a period of under two months on three separate occasions in recent years, resulting in the loss of billions in market capitalization, and erasing significant gains in a single correction.
    Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • 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
  • 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
  • And people-proofing cars has proven harder than anyone might have imagined when Chicagoans were taking out their Model T’s for Sunday drives on the Mother Road.
    The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
  • Video evidence and sworn witness testimony indicate Pretti approached law enforcement during their altercation with other civilians, filming the incident on his phone but never taking out his gun or acting violently toward officers.
    Alison Durkee, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
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.

Cite this Entry

“Rubbing out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rubbing%20out. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!