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scrubbing

verb

present participle of scrub
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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 scrubbing Soak pans before cleaning them, and turn off the faucet when scrubbing. — Simmone Shah, Time, 26 Aug. 2026 Wipe the solution off with water and a microfiber cloth, scrubbing at the grimy parts. — Abby Monteil, The Spruce, 26 Aug. 2026 Save yourself hours of hand scrubbing with Rubbermaid’s Reveal Power Scrubber—now on sale for $16 at Amazon. — Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 20 Aug. 2026 Avoid scrubbing hard on waterproof or specialized protective coating. — Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 17 Aug. 2026 Instead of using harsh bleach to tackle these stains, put some shaving cream on your toilet bowl brush and start scrubbing around the water line. — Emily Williams, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Aug. 2026 The stench, a byproduct of papermaking, eased years ago with the installation of air-scrubbing equipment and went away completely in September when International Paper closed the mill after 90 years of operation. — Adam Van Brimmer, AJC.com, 30 July 2026 Johns filed a report about the floor-scrubbing video with the Craighead County Sheriff’s Office. — Jennifer Smith Richards, ProPublica, 24 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scrubbing
  1. scrapping
  2. abandoning
  3. canceling
  4. revoking
  5. aborting
  6. repealing
Verb
  • But for my money, few players bring a more impactful set of skills to a club scrapping to stay in the Premier League.
    — David Ornstein, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • But Cargill, Michin and B-Fab have continuously been scrapping with Flair, Bliss and Paxley with Cargill and Flair seemingly fighting for the top contender spot to Chelsea Green’s women’s title.
    — Ryan Gaydos OutKick, FOXNews.com, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of scrapping
Verb
  • Offering a plea deal or abandoning the prosecution The more unlikely options include the prosecution offering a plea deal to Clancy or dropping the case entirely.
    — Jack Birle, The Washington Examiner, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The allegations said Bartiromo had allowed false claims about the 2020 presidential election to air on the network as part of a bid to keep angry viewers from abandoning its program.
    — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of abandoning
Verb
  • But legal experts also told local news that canceling the shows would’ve likely violated the First Amendment.
    — Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2026
  • The singer revealed the condition to fans three months later after canceling the rest of his planned gigs.
    — Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of canceling
Verb
  • The federal government withheld $160 million in transportation funding after California delayed revoking the licenses.
    — Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The following has zero to do with TCU’s revoking the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s credentials to cover TCU athletic events.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of revoking
Verb
  • Fifteen seconds after touching down, one of the pilots called for aborting the landing and the engine throttles were increased to a value consistent with go-around thrust, the NTSB said.
    — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 10 Sep. 2026
  • After aborting a Starship test flight last week, SpaceX plans to try again this Thursday evening.
    — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 20 July 2026
Definition of aborting
Verb
  • The Council earlier this month approved an ordinance repealing a July measure that directed the city manager to assess living conditions at the apartments and make emergency repairs.
    — Dylan Lysen, Kansas City Star, 26 Aug. 2026
  • That includes prohibiting the construction of AI data centers in rural Texas neighborhoods, reducing the impacts of data centers on local communities, and repealing sales tax exemptions and other incentives.
    — Jack Fink, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of repealing

Browse Nearby Words

scrubbed
scrubbing
scrubby
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Cite this Entry

“Scrubbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrubbing. Accessed 17 Sep. 2026.

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