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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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

Verb

In response to the mass-delistings, Zillow announced new standards excluding those private listings from ever appearing on its sites.

— Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 21 Aug. 2026
Used across more than 32 million group trips, the appe found that the average attendee spends $410 per trip, excluding individual airfare and travel costs.

— Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of excluding

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

The wearable also powers the implant wirelessly through induction, eliminating the need for an internal battery that could eventually require replacement.

— Shannon Cuthrell, IEEE Spectrum, 20 Aug. 2026
Deckard is tasked with eliminating a band of rebellious replicants led by Roy (Rutger Hauer) who have returned to Earth to confront their creator, the CEO of the Tyrell Corporation.

— David Faris, TheWeek, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of eliminating

Verb

The high court’s upcoming term will also include various other major cases, including a case involving religious rights and schools over Colorado barring Catholic preschools from its universal preschool program.

— Jack Birle, The Washington Examiner, 21 Aug. 2026
But according to the advisor, the millions in funding are also going towards other areas, such as Proposition 45—an environmental policy—instead of solely focusing on barring the billionaire tax.

— Joshua Hong, Fortune, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of barring

Browse Nearby Words

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 25 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of ruling out

verb

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