as in to exclude
to prevent the participation, consideration, or inclusion of
another loss would rule them out of the tournament
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rule out
The pope has ruled out the idea—asserted repeatedly by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth—that America’s campaign in Iran enjoys divine favor.
—
Francis X. Rocca, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2026
Center Jaxson Hayes also is dealing with a left foot injury and didn’t play Tuesday or Thursday; he was ruled out for Friday’s game against Phoenix and remains day-to-day.
—Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
Thunder chances are lower along the Peninsula than elsewhere in the Bay Area, though an odd lightning bolt cannot be ruled out, especially around Redwood City and cities closer to the Santa Cruz Mountains.
—Anthony Edwards, San Francisco Chronicle, 10 Apr. 2026
Brown was ruled out with Achilles tendonitis, the same ailment that sidelined him for wins over Atlanta and Charlotte late last month.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 10 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rule out
Francis X. Rocca, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2026
Center Jaxson Hayes also is dealing with a left foot injury and didn’t play Tuesday or Thursday; he was ruled out for Friday’s game against Phoenix and remains day-to-day.
—Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
Thunder chances are lower along the Peninsula than elsewhere in the Bay Area, though an odd lightning bolt cannot be ruled out, especially around Redwood City and cities closer to the Santa Cruz Mountains.
—Anthony Edwards, San Francisco Chronicle, 10 Apr. 2026
Brown was ruled out with Achilles tendonitis, the same ailment that sidelined him for wins over Atlanta and Charlotte late last month.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 10 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rule out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rule out
Verb
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That essentially delays the chances of a Fed rate cut for the time being and could result in higher borrowing costs for a series of products, of which mortgages and mortgage refinance loans won't be excluded.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
10 Apr. 2026
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Once the legislation is enacted, social media platforms will be responsible for reverifying the ages of all users in the country to exclude those who are 15 years or under.—
Menelaos Hadjicostis,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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China banned the import of Taiwanese pineapples in 2021, and since then has extended the ban to other fruits and products including grouper fish, squid and tuna.—
Huizhong Wu,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Apr. 2026
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Opt for non-aerosol sunscreen, since many festival venues ban aerosol sprays.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The crew talked to Artemis II science officer Kelsey Young throughout the entire flyby, barring a 40-minute period during which the spacecraft was behind the moon and out of reach of radio signal.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
7 Apr. 2026
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The move recalls Tyler, the Creator being barred from entering the United Kingdom in 2015 after the Home Office cited lyrics from earlier projects like Bastard and Goblin in determining that his presence was a public safety concern.—
Jeff Ihaza,
Rolling Stone,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Already eliminated from the postseason, the Bulls (30-49) fired president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley earlier this week.—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
9 Apr. 2026
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This step eliminated the need for separate assembly and improved reliability.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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MacKenzie Gore allowed one hit in five innings, Brandon Nimmo and Josh Smith had two hits each and the Texas Rangers shut out the Seattle Mariners 3-0 on Wednesday.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 2026
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Elsie Testa struck out 11 in a two-hitter as Abington (3-0) shut out South Shore League opponent Cohasset 3-0.—
Tom Mulherin,
Boston Herald,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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This review is scheduled to be complete next year and has the potential to freeze out full-size pickups designed with no consideration for things like European pedestrian safety.—
Jonathan M. Gitlin,
ArsTechnica,
8 Apr. 2026
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Speaking of options, is there anything Democrats could do if they’re frozen out of the runoff?—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Mercury News,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The bill also creates a pathway for people to sue if they were harmed by conversion therapy as children and a separate measure prevents insurers from covering such a practice.—
Caroline Cummings,
CBS News,
9 Apr. 2026
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More often than not, a lack of numbers have prevented the program from fielding a full varsity team, something Kendall and second-year coach Tonia Logan would like to remedy.—
Rick Armstrong,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But a law enacted in 1978 prohibited the use of petroleum in power plants.—
Paul Wiseman,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Apr. 2026
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Under House rules, these members are prohibited from using campaign funds to cover these costs.—
Jack Fink,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rule out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rule%20out. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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