ruling out

verb

present participle of rule out
as in excluding
to prevent the participation, consideration, or inclusion of another loss would rule them out of the tournament

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 ruling out Additional checkpoints may help identify gaps or inconsistencies, ruling out the bad actors. — John Bou, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026 Additional observations steadily refined the asteroid's orbit, eliminating any possibility of a collision in 2029 and also ruling out any impact threat for at least the next century, according to NASA. — Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 6 July 2026 After ruling out all other possibilities, Dhingra finally diagnosed Williams with IC‑MPGN, a kidney disease related to the immune system. — Kerry Breen, CBS News, 27 June 2026 Boston is not ruling out the idea is my intel. — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 11 June 2026 But in the decades since PBHs were first proposed, astronomers found clever ways to narrow down their plausible range of masses, ruling out many scenarios in which these black holes could account for dark matter. — Jonathan O'Callaghan, Scientific American, 4 June 2026 Many researchers think quantum computers are at an advantage here, because the process of classically ruling out insignificant configurations can get prohibitively difficult. — Quanta Magazine, 29 May 2026 Investigators are not ruling out weather or any other contributing factors. — Francie Ebert, NBC news, 16 May 2026 Bonta, a Democrat, is running for another four-year term after ruling out a run for governor amid questions about his involvement in an FBI East Bay corruption case. — Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 24 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruling out
  1. excluding
  2. banning
  3. shutting out
  4. freezing out
  5. eliminating
  6. barring
Verb
  • In four full drives (excluding an end-of-half drive), there were three three-and-outs.
    — Zach Berman, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Second, school supplies excluding electronics are now also exempt – not just during Tax-Free Week, but all year round.
    — Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of excluding
Verb
  • Oregon even passed a law in 2023 banning insurance companies from using state wildfire maps.
    — Lauren Sommer, NPR, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Academic integrity discussions should focus on intellectual ownership and critical thinking with AI, rather than simply banning it.
    — Dana Williams, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of banning
Verb
  • Orlando put a stop to a two-game losing streak in shutting out Chicago for the second time this season.
    — Kyle Foley, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 July 2026
  • And the Cup created new stars, like 40-year-old Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha, who gained millions of Instagram followers after shutting out Spain.
    — Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 20 July 2026
Definition of shutting out
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
  • The Democratic Party’s nightmare scenario would involve both Republican candidates advancing to November’s general election, freezing out Democrats from the governor’s office for the first time since 2011.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2026
Definition of freezing out
Verb
  • Across the country, financially troubled universities are pursuing corporate-style restructurings, eliminating programs and laying off faculty members.
    — Francisco Ruiz, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Local governments will be required to take quicker action on vector control, eliminating rodents and flies, if a state of emergency is declared.
    — Julie Sharp, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of eliminating
Verb
  • To meet Ellison’s 30-title threshold, there exists zero contractual language barring the studio from sending other catalogue titles — Chinatown, The Godfather, Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles — back to the multiplex in lieu of fresh product.
    — Chris Lee, Vulture, 13 Aug. 2026
  • With most of the S&P 500 companies having already reported, Golub said that EPS is expected to have grown more than 50% in the second quarter, barring any surprises.
    — Sean Conlon,Hugh Leask,Justina Lee,Fred Imbert, CNBC, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of barring

Browse Nearby Words

ruling (on)
ruling out
rulings
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Cite this Entry

“Ruling out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruling%20out. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

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