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
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
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
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Subscription excludes print edition.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
-
The authors found tariffs have already had a measurable impact on inflation, specifically core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy prices.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
11 May 2026
Verb
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The measure has some exceptions, such as undercover operations, SCUBA teams, bomb squads, and SWAT teams, but broadly bans masks.—
Christopher Keating,
Hartford Courant,
1 May 2026
-
In March, Sherrill signed three bills, including the Law Enforcement Officer Protection Act, which bans law enforcement officers, including ICE agents, from wearing masks in New Jersey.—
CBS New York Team,
CBS News,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The vote requests that the department’s all-civilian watchdog adopt new guidelines similar to San Francisco, which bars police officers from pulling people over for broken taillights and other minor equipment violations unless there is a safety threat.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
-
The law bars anyone from practicing medicine without a valid license.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
6 May 2026
Verb
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The ruling eliminates Democratic hopes for four additional House seats and strengthens Republican gerrymandering advantages heading into this year’s midterm elections.—
Kevin Rector,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
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Canceling projects or buying back leases eliminates the electricity those projects would have generated.—
Ben Link,
The Conversation,
8 May 2026
Verb
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This prevents the anti-lock braking system (ABS) module from running a brake pad self-adjustment routine that can contribute to the battery drain.—
Hartford Courant,
Hartford Courant,
12 May 2026
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The Doncic absence prevents the Lakers from properly evaluating their roster against playoff competition, complicating their ability to assess key personnel needs for the offseason.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 May 2026
Verb
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Republicans and Democrats divided on immigration Democrats were in lockstep on most issues related to immigration, including opposing Immigration & Customs Enforcement raids and supporting the sanctuary law that prohibits police from coordinating with the federal agency.—
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
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Facebook, led by Silicon Valley billionaire Mark Zuckerberg, said its Restricted Goods and Services Policy prohibits content involving the trade in endangered and protected animals and plants.—
Ethan Baron,
Mercury News,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rules out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rules%20out. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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