1
as in washed
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2
as in scraped
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Dissimilar Words
as in canceled
to put an end to (something planned or previously agreed to)
the outdoor art project was scrubbed when the organizers found out they needed permission from city hall
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Recent Examples of scrubbed
Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 25 May 2024
There were no young girls floating by in elegant dresses, no scrubbed and spoiled children dressed in their finery and dragged toward churches and pagodas, no whisper of music drifting out of windows.
—Chantha Nguon, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Feb. 2024
The New England town of Fairwood is a seemingly scrubbed, pleasant, prosperous hamlet.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 20 Jan. 2024
Scrubs, which take their name from the fact they are worn in a scrubbed environment, according to a history of operating room attire from the American College of Surgeons, were first mentioned by a surgeon in 1894.
—New York Times, 9 June 2021
Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Apr. 2026
Should Wednesday’s launch be scrubbed for any reason, NASA will have time to try again.
—Addy Bink, The Hill, 31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
But ground teams detected the helium leak in Starliner's service module in the aftermath of the scrubbed countdown.
—Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 25 May 2024
There were no young girls floating by in elegant dresses, no scrubbed and spoiled children dressed in their finery and dragged toward churches and pagodas, no whisper of music drifting out of windows.
—Chantha Nguon, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Feb. 2024
The New England town of Fairwood is a seemingly scrubbed, pleasant, prosperous hamlet.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 20 Jan. 2024
Scrubs, which take their name from the fact they are worn in a scrubbed environment, according to a history of operating room attire from the American College of Surgeons, were first mentioned by a surgeon in 1894.
—New York Times, 9 June 2021
Verb
Was scrubbed from Friday because of bad weather in the launch recovery zone in the Atlantic.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Apr. 2026
Should Wednesday’s launch be scrubbed for any reason, NASA will have time to try again.
—Addy Bink, The Hill, 31 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scrubbed
Adjective
-
Many people rely on pre-washed salad mix for its convenience.—
Sarah Bence,
Verywell Health,
6 Apr. 2026
-
As far as the yellow bed sheets go, this feels like the truest butter yellow—still pastel but not white-washed.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The agency has reportedly cancelled or delayed more than a billion dollars of grants for programs like school desegregation and disability services.—
Zach Helfand,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The singer was touring North America at the time of the discovery and canceled the remaining dates after the news broke.—
Nicole Acosta,
PEOPLE,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Just seven days’ exposure to shipping noise weakens the immune systems of blue mussels; but a process called acoustic enrichment, broadcasting the sound of a healthy reef, can attract marine life back to a bleached one, restitching the acoustic fabric of an entire ecosystem.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Nicholas Hoult beams with his bleached hair and Prada button-up courtside at the Lakers versus Cleveland Cavaliers game in Los Angeles on March 31.—
Escher Walcott,
PEOPLE,
4 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Recalling the English folk motif of the tree as possessing healing powers, a clump of soil dug up from an orchard in Lothlórien is used to replenish the scoured Shire.—
Ellen Walker,
JSTOR Daily,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
And the paintings began, in part, as a meditation on erasure—a rebuke, of sorts, to a digital regime that had abandoned writing’s tactility.—
Julian Lucas,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The speed problem Imas hasn’t abandoned his fears.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
19 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Fill the crack in the door with the epoxy wood filler, spreading a small bit of the paste over the sanded area to help close and bond the edges of the crack together.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Later that year, the DOJ also scrapped the requirement that airplane manufacturer Boeing have its own independent monitor.—
Ben Weiss,
Fortune,
17 Apr. 2026
-
The wine list was scrapped and replaced mainly with VinZant’s George Vineyard wines.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
13 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Rub a small amount of oil, like mayonnaise or vegetable oil, on the whitened area; natural oils should suffice.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
4 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scrubbed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrubbed. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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