RULE OUT Synonyms: 49 Similar and Opposite Words

rule out

verb

Definition of rule out

as in to exclude

to prevent the participation, consideration, or inclusion of another loss would rule them out of the tournament

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of rule out The point of the 2022 study was not to rule out the sheer physical space of low-Earth orbit as the real constraint. — Jonathan O'Callaghan, Scientific American, 18 Aug. 2026 This time around, the prospect of an Arab party in the coalition prompts more wariness among many Israelis, and Bennett and Lapid have both ruled out forming a coalition with one. — Tomer Almagor, Sun Sentinel, 17 Aug. 2026 Hair thinning becomes more common in the 40s alongside hormonal shifts, so ruling out an iron gap is a useful first step before stacking other products. — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Sacbee.com, 17 Aug. 2026 Early Sunday morning, the town website recommended that people in three outlying districts near the border leave the area temporarily because officials couldn’t rule out health risks caused by smoke. — ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for rule out

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rule out

Verb

The administration also pressed allies to exclude Huawei from their 5G networks, arguing that the company posed a national security threat because its equipment could give Beijing backdoor access to critical communications infrastructure.

— GLORIA XIONG, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026
Ocalan and other key PKK figures are excluded from the pardon.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of exclude

Verb

However, the former public servant was ultimately banned from leaving the country.

— Sylvie Zhuang, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2026
All of this comes after Princess Eugenie chose to have her third child in Portugal, and reports that both Andrew and Fergie had been banned from the delivery room.

— Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 16 Aug. 2026

Definition of ban

Verb

Instead, children in need of accommodations are stigmatized and barred from the longstanding Outdoor Lab tradition, with the district choosing to sue the federal government rather than solve the problem.

— Olivia Young, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026
The high court’s upcoming term will also include various other major cases, including a case involving religious rights and schools over Colorado barring Catholic preschools from its universal preschool program.

— Jack Birle, The Washington Examiner, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of bar

Verb

The Arkansas Medicaid program pays the premium and provides additional payments that reduce or eliminate enrollees' out-of-pocket expenses for medical care.

— Nathan Ansell, Arkansas Online, 18 Aug. 2026
But creating a psychologically safe environment does not require leaders to eliminate standards, accountability or difficult conversations.

— Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of eliminate

Verb

Pluto's atmosphere appears to be freezing out as the dwarf planet moves ever further away from the sun, according to careful observations of Pluto astronomers made as it was seen passing in front of stars in the sky.

— Keith Cooper, Space.com, 10 Aug. 2026
With Villa manager Unai Emery doubting the wisdom of triggering the clause to buy him, Elliott was frozen out.

— James Pearce, New York Times, 30 July 2026

Definition of freeze out

Verb

Los Angeles City Council members on Tuesday approved a resolution to remove 12 anti-camping zones around Hollywood, ending a years-long ban that prevented people from sitting, sleeping or camping in certain areas.

— Brittney Ermon, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026
Beijing has helped prevent oil prices from spiking to $150 a barrel by slashing its oil imports beyond what many thought possible.

— Matt Egan, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of prevent

Verb

The federal law generally prohibits schools that receive federal education funding from disclosing personally identifiable information from a student's education records without a parent's or guardian's consent, except in limited circumstances.

— Adam Thompson, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026
The crackdown remains a political taboo on the mainland, where authorities tightly censor discussion of the events and prohibit public commemorations.

— ABC News, ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of prohibit

Browse Nearby Words

rule (on)

rule out

ruler

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Style

“Rule out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rule%20out. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of rule out

verb

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