RULING OUT Synonyms: 49 Similar and Opposite Words

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

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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

Verb

Liberty keep backsliding The Liberty, a perennial contender in recent years, have lost eight of their last 10 (excluding their Commissioner’s Cup championship victory, which does not count toward the regular-season standings).

— James Boyd, New York Times, 19 July 2026
The distance the jet traveled during the tournament, excluding the journey to Qatar and back for the funeral, according to the AP analysis.

— ABC News, ABC News, 19 July 2026

Definition of excluding

Verb

Japan previously had eight empresses, mostly when the male heirs were too young to rule, until the Imperial House Law was enacted in 1889 during the Meiji era, officially banning female emperors.

— Hanako Montgomery, CNN Money, 14 July 2026
The national monument designation provides sweeping protections not just for significant geological features or artifacts but also for the surrounding landscape, banning drilling, mining and new construction nearby.

— ABC News, ABC News, 13 July 2026

Definition of banning

Verb

The defender, a former member of MLS’ Orlando City SC and who now patrols the backline at La Liga club Villarreal in Spain, has rewarded the coach by helping shut down Paraguay a week ago and shutting out Australia here in Seattle.

— David Close, CNN Money, 20 June 2026
The Reds got the best of the Mets yesterday, putting up 12 unanswered runs and shutting out New York.

— David Troy OutKick, FOXNews.com, 16 June 2026

Definition of shutting out

Verb

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
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

Definition of freezing out

Verb

Disney’s private island became the first to allow ships to dock directly at the shore—eliminating the need for a tender.

— Christian Sylt, Fortune, 16 July 2026
Kennedy and his advisers debated eliminating the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) shot in the fall, according to the three people.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 16 July 2026

Definition of eliminating

Verb

Friday's appeals court ruling in the New Jersey case goes further than a July 2024 ruling from a federal judge, who said that the state's ban on AR-15s specifically was unconstitutional but upheld the provision barring larger magazines.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 July 2026
What’s being done to address Land Park’s issues Aside from barring nighttime parking in the park, the city has also discussed closing some streets in the park to vehicular traffic as part of a two-year pilot program.

— Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 15 July 2026

Definition of barring

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ruling (on)

ruling out

rulings

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

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Synonyms of ruling out

verb

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