as in excludes
to prevent the participation, consideration, or inclusion of
another loss would rule them out of the tournament
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Recent Examples of rules out
That rules out fanciful speculation that the likes of Timothée Chalamet, Glen Powell, Austin Butler, Jacob Elordi and others who don’t hail from UK shores are in the running.
—
Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 24 Sep. 2025
Well, that rules out a whole lot of major villains that Reeves may have adapted, after previously doing high profile ones like The Riddler, Catwoman (well, sometimes-villain) and the all-time great Colin Farrell Penguin.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
This approach helps untangle cause from coincidence – and rules out confounding factors better than with observational studies.
—New Atlas, 12 Aug. 2025
Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 24 Sep. 2025
Well, that rules out a whole lot of major villains that Reeves may have adapted, after previously doing high profile ones like The Riddler, Catwoman (well, sometimes-villain) and the all-time great Colin Farrell Penguin.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
This approach helps untangle cause from coincidence – and rules out confounding factors better than with observational studies.
—New Atlas, 12 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rules out
Verb
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Though murder is the most severe metric, the deaths-only data approach entirely excludes acts of arson, assault, and vandalism, all typical tactics of leftist antifascist militants used to intimidate political opponents and pave the way for a revolution.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
22 Sep. 2025
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This approach inadvertently excludes several groups—including low- to moderate-income households, migrants and others—who face challenges such as lack of formal identification, irregular income streams and limited digital literacy.—
Akhil Gupta,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
China bans Nvidia’s AI chips China banned its largest technology companies from buying Nvidia’s AI chips, Beijing’s latest effort to gain global tech dominance over the US.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
22 Sep. 2025
-
Trump’s policies have especially impacted service members and veterans, including an executive order that bans transgender troops and another that bars trans veterans from receiving gender-affirming care through the Department of Veterans Affairs.—
Maura Fox,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The Missouri chapter of the NAACP, for example, argues Kehoe illegally called lawmakers into a special session while two other lawsuits allege the Missouri Constitution bars legislators from redistricting more than once a decade.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
23 Sep. 2025
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Trump’s policies have especially impacted service members and veterans, including an executive order that bans transgender troops and another that bars trans veterans from receiving gender-affirming care through the Department of Veterans Affairs.—
Maura Fox,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
At least six Starbucks stores in the capital region are among those slated to close this weekend, as the company shutters underperforming locations across North America and eliminates 900 non-retail jobs.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
26 Sep. 2025
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Apple's obnoxious $100-or-$200-per-tier upgrade pricing for storage and RAM is usually the worst part about any of its products, so any upgrade that eliminates that upcharge for anyone is worth calling out.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
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State law prevents current Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson from seeking a third term in office.—
Arpan Lobo,
Freep.com,
24 Sep. 2025
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The attorneys argued that state officials' failure to disclose public information prevents them from ensuring that Ward's execution is carried out without constitutional violations.—
Kristine Phillips,
IndyStar,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The bill would codify an executive order already in effect that prohibits physicians, clinics and hospitals from providing medications or surgeries for minors seeking gender transition.—
Vivian Jones,
Nashville Tennessean,
26 Sep. 2025
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Much of this is exactly what the Supreme Court has said the First Amendment prohibits the federal government from doing.—
Louis Menand,
New Yorker,
26 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rules out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rules%20out. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.
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