as in excluding
to prevent the participation, consideration, or inclusion of
another loss would rule them out of the tournament
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ruling out
Trump is not ruling out the possibility of military strikes on Iran.
—
Brittney Melton, NPR, 27 Feb. 2026
Smith for some time has dangled the prospect of running as an unconventional candidate against a field of career politicians, but there’s a big gap between not ruling out a run and actually doing it.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 13 Feb. 2026
Investigators are not ruling out sabotage carried out by anarchists, citing similarities to the sabotage that targeted the French network during the 2024 Paris Olympics, when France’s high-speed train lines were targeted by multiple malicious acts including arson.
—Antonia Mortensen, CNN Money, 7 Feb. 2026
Once there, Glick quickly gathered information that contradicted claims the authorities had made in ruling out foul play.
—Eren Orbey, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
Brittney Melton, NPR, 27 Feb. 2026
Smith for some time has dangled the prospect of running as an unconventional candidate against a field of career politicians, but there’s a big gap between not ruling out a run and actually doing it.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 13 Feb. 2026
Investigators are not ruling out sabotage carried out by anarchists, citing similarities to the sabotage that targeted the French network during the 2024 Paris Olympics, when France’s high-speed train lines were targeted by multiple malicious acts including arson.
—Antonia Mortensen, CNN Money, 7 Feb. 2026
Once there, Glick quickly gathered information that contradicted claims the authorities had made in ruling out foul play.
—Eren Orbey, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruling out
Verb
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Last year, excluding international immigration, about 20,000 more people left Silicon Valley than arrived, according to the index.—
Ethan Varian,
Mercury News,
25 Feb. 2026
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The lender now aims to deliver a return on average tangible equity — a measure of profitability — of 17% or more, excluding notable items, in between 2026 and 2028.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Examples of these actions include adopting stretch energy codes, piloting a reusable cups program for concerts at RiverEdge Park and banning single use plastic shopping bags, according to a poster of the actions displayed during the breakout groups held later in the forum.—
R. Christian Smith,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Feb. 2026
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Wiener authored a first-in-the-nation law banning local and federal law enforcement agents from wearing face coverings after a wave of immigration raids across Southern California last summer.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
22 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Montverde junior midfielder Kendal Seays credited Strausbaugh and the defense for shutting out Cardinal Gibbons.—
Bill Kemp,
The Orlando Sentinel,
21 Feb. 2026
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The Knights took home three points in round two with the Wolverines while also shutting out Chaminade 1-0.—
Justin Vigil Zuniga,
Daily News,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The incident demonstrates that freezing out a critical voice through administrative pressure constitutes an authoritarian suppression of dissent, with the blocking itself becoming more newsworthy and damaging to the administration than the governor’s original remarks would have been.—
George Skelton,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Jan. 2026
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Minnesota officials said on Thursday that the FBI is taking the lead on the investigation and freezing out state investigators.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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House leaders, led by House Speaker Danny Perez, have expressed frustration that neither DeSantis nor Albritton has actually put forward a proposal on property taxes, even though DeSantis has been talking about reducing or eliminating property taxes for more than a year.—
Jim DeFede,
CBS News,
22 Feb. 2026
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The millions of taxpayer dollars saved by eliminating this wasteful expenditure can be used toward academic achievement, which by all accounts is severely lacking.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
22 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The attorney’s criticism of the training program comes as federal judges have slammed ICE and Border Patrol agents for using chemical agents on protesters, barring detainees access to legal counsel and making unlawful arrests.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
24 Feb. 2026
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Especially after reinserting Skyy Clark into a starting lineup, which, barring injuries, will feature three guards – including Dent and sophomore Trent Perry – the rest of the season.—
Aaron Heisen,
Daily News,
24 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ruling out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruling%20out. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
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