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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rubbing out
Verb
  • One woman, in her 30s, had been hit by bird shot at close range, destroying the roof of her mouth and the area around her nose and below her eyes, the surgeon recalled.
    ABC News, ABC News, 27 Feb. 2026
  • On Monday, a judge issued a temporary restraining order that presumably prevents the defendants from altering or destroying any evidence at the refinery.
    Patrick Danner, San Antonio Express-News, 26 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Each night, the traitors eliminate one faithful by figuratively murdering them, ending their time on the show.
    Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 3 Mar. 2026
  • People being selfish, people being greedy, people murdering other people, people kidnapping other people, taking advantage of women, people taking advantage of children, all of this awful stuff.
    Katie Campione, Deadline, 2 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Yet Aii has struggled to achieve more than a handful of percentage points of its goal of eradicating 100 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions by the decade’s end.
    Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 19 Feb. 2026
  • The very first big project the foundation took on was eradicating hookworm in the American South.
    Christopher DiLella, CNBC, 17 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • The White House believed that that Iran was intentionally ruining the Mideast peace process, and then-House Speaker Newt Gingrich had called Iran the most dangerous nation on Earth.
    Brit McCandless Farmer, CBS News, 28 Feb. 2026
  • Trying to gather gossip under her own byline didn't work as well, and the new mom was also started to have ethical qualms about her work of ruining the reputations of women and men in the 'ton.
    Sarah Moore, Freep.com, 27 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • The presiding judge in the case against Tyler Robinson, accused of assassinating conservative icon Charlie Kirk last September, will rule on a critical defense motion today.
    Peter D'Abrosca, FOXNews.com, 24 Feb. 2026
  • Harry Jacobs, who was recently named head of the office's criminal division, was also involved in the prosecution of Vance Boelter, the man accused of assassinating former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark.
    Sarah N. Lynch, CBS News, 5 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • However, the Longhorns battled back, erasing the deficit and entering the break with a one-point lead.
    Tony Catalina, Austin American Statesman, 28 Feb. 2026
  • British government bond yields, known as gilts, were marginally lower on the news, erasing earlier gains.
    Sam Meredith, CNBC, 27 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • There was the notable exception of Kyle Tucker batting second, a little reminder that the winner of the last two World Series, and the franchise that is shattering payroll and luxury tax records in the process, managed to add another All-Star bat at an average value of $60 million per season.
    Tim Cowlishaw, Dallas Morning News, 28 Feb. 2026
  • At the same time, the Intermountain West has suffered through a record-shattering snow drought and exceedingly warm conditions that will have critical implications to water availability in the region this year.
    Naema Ahmed, Washington Post, 27 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • But eliminating things and fully taking out a capability is really challenging without putting people there on the ground.
    NBC news, NBC news, 1 Mar. 2026
  • Three years later, Williams became the first Black woman since Althea Gibson in 1958 to hoist Wimbledon's Venus Rosewater Dish after taking out defending champion Lindsay Davenport.
    Cedric Golden, Austin American Statesman, 1 Mar. 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 5 Mar. 2026.

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