1
as in destroying
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of
aerial bombs rubbed out the oil refinery
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2
as in murdering
to put to death deliberately
an elaborate setup to rub out rival mobsters
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3
as in eradicating
to destroy all traces of
a promise to rub out the city's drug trade
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Recent Examples of Synonyms for rubbing out
Verb
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Mexican fruit flies are one of the world’s most destructive pests when laying their eggs, destroying or damaging fruit such as apples, grapefruits, avocados, peaches and pears, according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture.
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But Blue Origin suffered a major setback in May when one of its New Glenn rockets abruptly exploded on the launchpad, destroying vital infrastructure that will take months to rebuild.
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The ruling handed down on Tuesday affirmed the judgment of a May 2025 hearing presided over by Cuyahoga County judge Nancy Margaret Russo, the same judge who found Shirilla guilty of murdering her boyfriend, Dominic Russo (no relation) and their friend, Davion Flanagan, in a 2022 car crash.
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Sam Worthington leads the series as David Burroughs, a father serving a life sentence for murdering his own son five years ago.
Verb
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Frustratingly, Rubus armeniacus is notoriously difficult to get rid of, as traditional approaches to invasive management such as fire, herbicide, and mowing are insufficient at eradicating the plant.
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Incomplete or inappropriate antibiotic courses amplify this effect by exposing bacteria to sub-therapeutic drug concentrations without eradicating them.
Verb
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The company was saving a few bucks but ruining its product.
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Adidas’s everyday sneakers can handle 20,000 steps without ruining an outfit, perfectly balancing cool with comfy.
Verb
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Since the start of the war in 2022, Ukrainian military intelligence has claimed responsibility for assassinating several senior Russian officers, some of whom have appeared on a public list of Ukraine’s enemies.
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Yes, assassinating their leaders might have played into that.
Verb
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Maybe Destiny 2 needed to end at some point, but there’s a difference between that and announcing the next stage of the IP, and erasing it from existence and laying off the hundreds of talented team members still making great content right down to the last minute.
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Electronic dance music scholars have noted that countercultural scenes have shifted into a global industry, reshaping or erasing local meanings in favor of commercialization.
Verb
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SpaceX’s record-shattering IPO has minted thousands of new millionaires, unleashing a wave of high-end home shoppers poised to reshape Southern California’s already tight coastal housing markets.
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The record-shattering heat waves in Europe last week and in the western US in March are two recent examples.
Verb
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Even the journalists in the press box stood to acclaim Yamal’s greatness, taking out their phones to capture the moment for posterity.
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In May, Tribune Publishing struck a deal to buy the Daily Herald after waging a monthslong campaign — including taking out several full-page print ads in the Chicago Tribune — to convince the suburban newspaper’s employee owners to support the sale.
Cite this Entry
“Rubbing out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rubbing%20out. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.
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