RULES OUT Synonyms: 49 Similar and Opposite Words

rules out

verb

present tense third-person singular of rule out

as in excludes

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

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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 rules out The statute rules out radios, CD players, headphones, sporting equipment, portable or desktop telephones, copiers or other office equipment, furniture, or fixtures. — Zuri Primos july 25, Kansas City Star, 25 July 2026 The paper also rules out a competing explanation. — Paul Sutter, Space.com, 9 June 2026 And to me, that’s very alien to imagine that the Universe could be not following some laws, that there isn’t some set of rules out there that determines what really happens? — Big Think, 29 Oct. 2025 None of this rules out an agreement on Chinese investments in the US as part of a broader trade deal. — semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2025 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rules out

Verb

The total excludes China, where execution data is classified as a state secret and Amnesty believes thousands of executions were carried out.

— Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 29 July 2026
Base is the most restrictive and excludes seat selection – though it will not be sold for Mint bookings – while Standard allows customers to choose seats and has no change fees.

— Nathan Diller, USA Today, 28 July 2026

Definition of excludes

Verb

The social media bans land at an already fragile moment for Snapchat.

— Sam Birchall, Fortune, 30 July 2026
Sehnaoui's meeting with the Israeli leader occurred as some in Lebanon have called for abolishing a 1955 law that bans dealing with Israel or having contacts with Israelis and punishes offenders with up to 10 years in jail.

— ABC News, ABC News, 29 July 2026

Definition of bans

Verb

Those letters also pointed out that the National Voter Registration Act bars election officials from systematically canceling voter registrations during the 90-day period before a federal election.

— Miles Parks, NPR, 31 July 2026
State law does not cap how much a landlord can raise the rent when a lease renews, and Pennsylvania also bars cities and counties from passing their own rent-control ordinances.

— Gabby Sartori, USA Today, 31 July 2026

Definition of bars

Verb

The lodge operates on solar energy, eliminates single-use plastics wherever possible, supports local suppliers, organizes beach clean-ups and works closely with conservation initiatives.

— Sarah Kingdom, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
As per the website, the Tornyol mosquito-hunting drone, specifically its LeSonar2 model, actively tracks and eliminates insects mid-air by combining bat-like ultrasonic sonar with intelligent processing algorithms.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 27 July 2026

Definition of eliminates

Verb

The city says state law prevents it from setting wages for private companies such as airlines, and a new provision in the state budget further restricts what local officials can do for contract workers.

— DJ Simmons July 27, Charlotte Observer, 27 July 2026
This prevents resentment, secrecy, and stressful decisions later.

— Kathy Barnes, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 July 2026

Definition of prevents

Verb

The law broadly prohibits such actions, creating a narrow exception allowing temporary retention for up to ten hours solely for I-9 verification and copying.

— Alonzo Martinez, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
The law also prohibits rentals from having their own locking doors or restricting access to the full residence, but both appear to be the case for the units in Zampolli’s house, based on videos filmed by guests.

— Adam Robb, Curbed, 27 July 2026

Definition of prohibits

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rules (on)

rules out

ruling

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“Rules out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rules%20out. Accessed 3 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of rules out

verb

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