as in routine
an established and often automatic or monotonous series of actions followed when engaging in some activity
I've fallen into a rut, watching television and then going to bed every night
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rut
Offense was better found on the back of a milk cartoon for the Braves this weekend at Truist Park, where the NL East’s first-place team fell into a scoring rut and lost a three-game series to the Nationals.
—
Chad Bishop, AJC.com, 25 May 2026
There’s a certain scale at which the discerning buyer might hit a rut; things that are smaller than most pieces of furniture might require turning to the largest of shelves at the biggest box stores.
—Anthony Paletta, Curbed, 23 May 2026
But the moment was emblematic of a Cubs team that is currently in a rut.
—Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 20 May 2026
Wheel ruts and aboveground turf damage can become a problem, too, when the lawn mower is turning in the same place repeatedly.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for rut
Chad Bishop, AJC.com, 25 May 2026
There’s a certain scale at which the discerning buyer might hit a rut; things that are smaller than most pieces of furniture might require turning to the largest of shelves at the biggest box stores.
—Anthony Paletta, Curbed, 23 May 2026
But the moment was emblematic of a Cubs team that is currently in a rut.
—Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 20 May 2026
Wheel ruts and aboveground turf damage can become a problem, too, when the lawn mower is turning in the same place repeatedly.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for rut
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rut
Noun
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Throughout the testing period, participants recorded how their skin looked and felt, then rated each cream across key factors, including texture, absorption, overnight hydration, and compatibility with existing routines.—
Jenny Berg,
InStyle,
4 June 2026
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This adaptation explains why the hourlong train ride to work can start out as exhausting, but become part of your daily routine.—
Christian B. Miller,
The Conversation,
4 June 2026
Noun
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There’s a certain predictability to the plots in a Taylor Sheridan production — a kind of slow, relentless grind from crisis to crisis, punctuated by occasional eruptions of violence.—
Noel Murray,
Vulture,
29 May 2026
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But that doesn’t change the fact that both players were essential in their own ways to Denver’s survival of the 82-game grind.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
29 May 2026
Noun
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The invention that Edison brought into the offices of Scientific American also used sound vibrations to make a needle vibrate—in his case, by digging grooves into a strip of tinfoil or paper that was embossed with wax.—
Ron Cowen,
Scientific American,
3 June 2026
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Think more divorcée getting her groove back on an unseasonably chilly day, less spring breaker double-fisting piña coladas.—
Kara Jillian Brown,
InStyle,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rut.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rut. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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