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
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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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Recent Examples of rubbing out
Also on the trail is a gangster named Clyde (John Magaro), who’s been sent to redo the job of rubbing out the mysteriously undead Ida.
—
Richard Brody, New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2026
Richard Brody, New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rubbing out
Verb
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Back in 2023, the small drones started destroying any truck or van within several miles of the front, often in high-speed chases.—
David Hambling,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
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Anomalies then occurred during an engine relight sequence, destroying a significant part of the Superheavy aft and resulting in a loss of control.—
Lora Kolodny,
CNBC,
22 May 2026
Verb
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Caneiro, 59, received four consecutive life sentences after being found guilty in February of murdering his brother, Keith, and his brother's family.—
Alexa Herrera,
CBS News,
19 May 2026
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In 2004, a jury found Peterson guilty of murdering his wife and child.—
Alexiah Syrai Olsen,
Sacbee.com,
19 May 2026
Verb
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Blaine begins to relentlessly beat Sam in retaliation for eradicating his wife, Anneliese.—
Lynsey Eidell,
PEOPLE,
23 May 2026
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The new state consumer services agency will focus on eradicating junk fees, increasing online privacy protections and overseeing oil companies, according to Newsom’s office.—
Lia Russell,
Sacbee.com,
12 May 2026
Verb
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When sound came in, people were writing all these articles about how sound is ruining films.—
Andy Hazel,
IndieWire,
14 May 2026
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Dyckman’s sharing the top three outdoor decor trends that are ruining your space—plus, her favorite Amazon swaps to fix them, starting at $22.—
Stephanie Osmanski,
Better Homes & Gardens,
12 May 2026
Verb
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Mangione is accused of assassinating UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.—
Adam Sabes , Maria Paronich,
FOXNews.com,
13 May 2026
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Making a disgusting joke about assassinating the President #2.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But the treatment also destroyed the healthy stem cells responsible for her immune system, erasing the immunological memory of past vaccines and infections.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
23 May 2026
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There was still no way of erasing Chicago’s nine-run uprising in the fourth, the most runs allowed in an inning by the Giants since 2020 (also nine, by the then-Oakland Athletics).—
Cam Inman,
Mercury News,
23 May 2026
Verb
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The administration’s norm-shattering masks a more fundamental misunderstanding of how administrative power can bring about lasting change.—
Joshua M. Sharfstein,
STAT,
16 May 2026
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At that price point, the home will likely become the most expensive home sold in Miami-Dade, shattering the record set by Zuckerberg earlier this year.—
Catherine Odom,
Miami Herald,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Then, Sky slammed Asuka and jumped off the table, taking out Asuka with a crossbody block.—
Blake Oestriecher,
Forbes.com,
9 May 2026
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Instead of slaying a burgundy and blue dragon by taking out the Avs’ second-best player, the Wild officially woke up the beast.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rubbing out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rubbing%20out. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
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