as in scrapping
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 scrubbing
And the whole hall, baseboards and walls, is painted in Benjamin Moore’s Scuff-X finish, durable enough for scrubbing with soap or a Magic Eraser.
—
Kelley Bruss, Dallas Morning News, 11 Feb. 2026
That’s why scrolling by date and scrubbing through videos still works — search hides uncertainty, scrolling shows everything.
—Ken Colburn, AZCentral.com, 8 Feb. 2026
If the stains remain, sprinkle in some baking soda before scrubbing with a toilet brush.
—Maria Sabella, The Spruce, 8 Feb. 2026
Let the filter soak for at least ten minutes before scrubbing it gently with an old toothbrush.
—Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 7 Feb. 2026
This is done by scrubbing the feeder and its parts with mind soap and water, then soaking it in a diluted bleach solution.
—Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 5 Feb. 2026
Later in the season, after the Bridgerton sons playfully throw shaving foam at each other, a maid is shown scrubbing the floor, the furniture, and the walls, their fun and folly now her toil.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2026
Be sure to keep your bird bath clean by scrubbing it regularly.
—Rita Pelczar, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Jan. 2026
The next day, the neighbor saw that same man scrubbing the steps.
—Mike Hellgren, CBS News, 23 Jan. 2026
Kelley Bruss, Dallas Morning News, 11 Feb. 2026
That’s why scrolling by date and scrubbing through videos still works — search hides uncertainty, scrolling shows everything.
—Ken Colburn, AZCentral.com, 8 Feb. 2026
If the stains remain, sprinkle in some baking soda before scrubbing with a toilet brush.
—Maria Sabella, The Spruce, 8 Feb. 2026
Let the filter soak for at least ten minutes before scrubbing it gently with an old toothbrush.
—Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 7 Feb. 2026
This is done by scrubbing the feeder and its parts with mind soap and water, then soaking it in a diluted bleach solution.
—Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 5 Feb. 2026
Later in the season, after the Bridgerton sons playfully throw shaving foam at each other, a maid is shown scrubbing the floor, the furniture, and the walls, their fun and folly now her toil.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2026
Be sure to keep your bird bath clean by scrubbing it regularly.
—Rita Pelczar, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Jan. 2026
The next day, the neighbor saw that same man scrubbing the steps.
—Mike Hellgren, CBS News, 23 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scrubbing
Verb
-
But the Jayhawks never stopped scrapping.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Always on the phone, Evans was soon seducing and scrapping with everyone from Frank Sinatra (who threatened to pull Mia Farrow off Rosemary’s Baby) to suits refusing to cast a washed up Marlon Brando in The Godfather.—
Hadley Hall Meares,
Vanity Fair,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
So much so that by June 1870, Rillet filed a trademark injunction with the New York Supreme Court, trying to stop a competitor who had borrowed the name while abandoning the process.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Feb. 2026
-
At the same time, resilience isn’t about abandoning them to fend for themselves, either—instead parents should strive to strike a balance between the two extremes.—
Lauryn Higgins,
Parents,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
This step includes canceling the student picture day scheduled for Thursday at Hilbert Elementary, a school in Wayne County's Redford Township that enrolls students pre-K through grade 6.—
Paula Wethington,
CBS News,
19 Feb. 2026
-
The host handed me a blindfold and Bose noise-canceling headphones, playing the hypnotic sounds of a space drum with birds chirping in the distance.—
Shelby Hartman,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Davies said the 2007 date Wexner cited in 2019 applied to firing Epstein as financial adviser, revoking his power of attorney and removing his name from Wexner’s bank accounts.—
Julie Carr Smyth,
Fortune,
18 Feb. 2026
-
This includes revoking any permit filed for a detention center.—
Adam Thompson,
CBS News,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Her behavior led to the pilots aborting takeoff.—
Marina Watts,
PEOPLE,
2 Jan. 2026
-
An investigation by the Spanish outlet La Marea uncovered contracts that restricted women’s movements during pregnancy, including clauses prohibiting travel abroad or aborting the fetus.—
Jesus Mesa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Funding public schools and repealing the voucher law.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
-
The proposals, released this week and which would go into effect in 2027, prioritize making ACA premiums as low as possible — by expanding bare-bones coverage, allowing insurers to skip creating networks of hospitals and doctors, and repealing standardized plan options.—
Bob Herman,
STAT,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scrubbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrubbing. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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