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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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
  • Among other things, Hinduism reveres femininity through the worship of powerful goddesses, including Saraswati, the goddess of wisdom; Kali, the goddess who destroys evil and ego; and Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity.
    — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Laser destroys 11 drones in 10 days US forces have stopped around 300 drones allegedly linked to cartels since the beginning of 2026.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of destroys
Verb
  • To get even with Kanan, Juke murders Raq, her surrogate mother.
    — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Moriarty has reported on the yogurt shop murders for over 30 years.
    — Erin Moriarty, CBS News, 26 June 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
  • Many of them have rides, like the Mexico pavilion’s The Gran Fiesta Tour starring the Three Caballeros, which is inside a replica of that country’s iconic Chichen Itza Mayan ruins.
    — Julie Tremaine, PEOPLE, 3 Sep. 2026
  • And that’s a bit of a problem, because nothing ruins the allure of the new and novel quite like ubiquity.
    — Byron Hurd, The Drive, 27 Aug. 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
  • 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
  • Nothing erases the toll of 12,000 steps quite like a 60-minute Herbal Bliss healing journey.
    — DeMarco Williams, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 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
  • The open back instantly elevates it beyond a basic long-sleeve, and the just-so crop absolutely slays.
    — Annie Blackman, InStyle, 4 Sep. 2026
  • In East Rutherford, New Jersey, Beyoncé slays in all-white at the World Cup final between Argentina and Spain, while Justin and Hailey Bieber show off their streetwear style in New York City.
    — Brendan Le, PEOPLE, 20 July 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 14 Sep. 2026.

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