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
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rubbing out
Verb
-
But if enacted, some of the ideas proposed also risk destroying a nascent private sector and worsening the country’s ongoing humanitarian crisis.—
Nora Gámez Torres,
Miami Herald,
10 Apr. 2025 -
Online records show that Lamb was charged with homicide, kidnap-false imprisonment, evidence-destroying and procure for prostitute.—
Adam Sabes,
FOXNews.com,
10 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
They were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole at ages 18 and 21 after being convicted of murdering their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, in their Beverly Hills home in 1989.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
12 Apr. 2025
-
Eleven years after attorney Sarah Morgan defended her husband, Adam, against the charge of murdering his mistress, she's changed careers and started a family with a new husband, Bob Miller.—
Lizz Schumer,
People.com,
12 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Tesla is now on the cusp of erasing its postelection gains.—
Brian Evans,
CNBC,
10 Mar. 2025
-
What To Know Stocks plummeted in morning trading on Wall Street, erasing all S&P 500 gains since Election Day.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
4 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Since March 14, severe weather has left a trail of destruction, toppling trees, demolishing homes, and igniting wildfires, the Associated Press reported.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
21 Mar. 2025
-
Education advocates and Democrats have condemned the move, and actually demolishing the agency would require an act of Congress.—
The Hill Staff,
The Hill,
20 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
This prequel flashes back to a previous Christmas in Los Angeles, when their unintentional destruction of a Santa Claus parade balloon put the city on edge, wrecking the gang's plans for a massive Yuletide bank robbery.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
20 Dec. 2024
-
The vocalist’s sole concerns related to the natural environment, the animal kingdom and humankind’s responsibility for wrecking our only home.—
Bob Gendron,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
This underscores the company’s track record of executing rapid-development projects on relatively modest budgets—Erinyes reportedly cost less than $15 million to develop over three years.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Mar. 2025
-
For instance, financial firms run ERP, CRM and wealth management platforms separately, with each business unit executing independent digital initiatives leading to disconnected AI strategies.—
Jabin Geevarghese George,
Forbes,
21 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Actually abolishing the department will require action from Congress, but the effort could have major implications for everything from universities’ federal funding to college students applying for loans to pay for their education.—
The Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
26 Mar. 2025
-
The order would spare some programs deemed critical by the administration, though completely abolishing the DOE will require congressional approval.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
21 Mar. 2025
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 8 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share