rubs out

Definition of rubs outnext
present tense third-person singular of rub out
1
as in destroys
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
3

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rubs out
Verb
  • Unfortunately, as with alcohol, gambling also destroys lives.
    Jim Nowlan, Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2026
  • Israel routinely destroys equipment meant for reconstruction; Human Rights Watch found that Israel had destroyed more than 360 heavy machines — bulldozers, excavators, and factories producing asphalt and cement — in four different attacks in south Lebanon.
    Justin Salhani, The Dial, 5 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • That’s true at the end of the film but not at the beginning, when Jason dons the mask and murders his film professor.
    Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2026
  • Her unscrupulous, power-hungry uncle Claudius (Kôji Yakusho) murders his own brother to become king.
    Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • These four novels create a convincing, wrenching, kaleidoscopic picture of the range and repetitions of the most fatal kind of love; the sort of love that allows nothing else to grow around it, that eradicates all dignity; a love which, in order to be completed, must be told.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Feb. 2026
  • The path to health involves aggressive treatment that eradicates the disease.
    Pedro A. Rojas Arroyo, Boston Herald, 22 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • For more history, the Maya ruins all over the area never fail to surprise, but Tulum remains singular with the only major Mayan site built dramatically atop seaside cliff.
    Gina Góngora, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Mar. 2026
  • In games that matter, one bad inning — one weak link on the chain — ruins a whole game.
    Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • That assassinates Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, sparking retaliatory attacks by Iran across the Middle East.
    Jill Lawrence, Mercury News, 7 Mar. 2026
  • Soleimani assassination | Trump orders a drone strike in Iraq that assassinates Qasem Soleimani, an influential Iranian military commander.
    Erin Mansfield, USA Today, 1 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The other serves as the president and CEO of Undue Medical Debt, the only nonprofit that acquires and erases medical debt for those most burdened.
    Allison Sesso, STAT, 20 Feb. 2026
  • Food and drink The casual, open-plan kitchen erases the divide between Sussurro’s chefs and guests, inviting collaboration and conversation sparked by the display of fresh produce harvested straight from the on-site garden or sourced from organic farmers’ markets.
    Megan Spurrell, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • The latest filing demolishes the timeworn claim that DOGE was infiltrated into Social Security in order to responsibly ferret out fraud and overspending.
    Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026
  • If the city demolishes the building, the costs will be assessed to the property owner.
    Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 30 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Teyana Taylor slays in red at an event in Las Vegas, while Hudson Williams smiles for the cameras at Men's Fashion Week in Milan.
    Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 18 Jan. 2026
  • Chriselle Lim demonstrates that a precise center part, along with a straight style, is the perfect formula for a sharp bob that slays.
    Omenaa Boakye, InStyle, 31 Dec. 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

“Rubs out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rubs%20out. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.

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