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rubs out

verb

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in murders
to put to death deliberately an elaborate setup to rub out rival mobsters

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in eradicates
to destroy all traces of a promise to rub out the city's drug trade

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rubs out
  1. destroys
  2. murders
  3. eradicates
  4. ruins
  5. assassinates
  6. erases
  7. demolishes
  8. slays
Verb
  • Jains typically do not eat root vegetables because harvesting them destroys the whole plant and harms life-forms around it.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Sep. 2026
  • How IonQ cracked error correction Since making measurements of a qubit destroys its quantum state, researchers can only gather information about their syndromes to know if the qubit has accumulated an error or not.
    — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of destroys
Verb
  • By definition, a serial killer is someone who murders two or more people during separate events, with gaps of time in between.
    — Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 15 Sep. 2026
  • To get even with Kanan, Juke murders Raq, her surrogate mother.
    — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of murders
Verb
  • But that also eradicates a crucial option - to mount a show trial and scapegoat him for all the ills of his rule, thus absolving others.
    — Melik Kaylan, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026
  • Treating the underlying condition eradicates the need for drug treatments that act globally.
    — Dr. Patricia Richard, Hartford Courant, 14 Apr. 2026
Definition of eradicates
Verb
  • Nothing ruins an outfit faster than an ill-fitting bra, which is why this V-neck option caught our eye.
    — Jacqueline Tempera, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Bringing these types of guys back is what ruins a team’s flexibility.
    — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of ruins
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
Definition of assassinates
Verb
  • Technological advancement constantly creates new opportunities, but counter-adaptation erases the advantages quickly.
    — NADIA SCHADLOW, Foreign Affairs, 18 Sep. 2026
  • With only Lucien, a freshly out twink with more heart than abs, still by his side, Jim must race to find a cure before the disease erases the community that once worshipped him.
    — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of erases
Verb
  • An $8,000 Ryvid Anthem or a $10,000 Maeving RM1S will deliver broadly similar urban usability, while the $12,500 Zero FXE absolutely demolishes it on power-per-dollar.
    — Utkarsh Sood June 12, New Atlas, 12 June 2026
  • 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
Definition of demolishes
Verb
  • With career-defining performances from Jodie Foster and Sir Anthony Hopkins, this movie still absolutely slays 35 years after it was released.
    — Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2026
  • When his friend Richard (Leo Suter) slays Beatrice’s husband as well, the two come up with a scheme to marry the sisters and take over their property.
    — Jourdain Searles, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of slays
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.

Browse Nearby Words

rubs elbows (with)
rubs out
rubs the wrong way
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Cite this Entry

“Rubs out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rubs%20out. Accessed 2 Oct. 2026.

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