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
Add a few drops of mild detergent to warm water and blot the stain with a microfiber cloth rather than scrubbing it.
—
Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 May 2026
Many of the cleaning home habits people rely on every week — from scrubbing grout to running a steam mop — can quietly wear down floors, fixtures and appliances.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 12 May 2026
After scrubbing the dirt and grime, use the garden hose to rinse the vinyl siding.
—Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 May 2026
Spray the inside of the oven and let sit for 30+ minutes before scrubbing it down.
—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 11 May 2026
And while scrubbing grout feels productive, aggressive pressure can wear away the protective sealant and damage the grout lines themselves.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Kansas City Star, 11 May 2026
Then, let the paste sit for a few minutes before scrubbing away with a clean cloth to reveal like-new furniture with no superficial scratches.
—Alexandra Kelly, Martha Stewart, 9 May 2026
The giant operating room, with its other-worldly machines and too many doctors and nurses to count, lay on the other side of two glass doors, and next to me seven more nurses and doctors were scrubbing in.
—Literary Hub, 7 May 2026
Lightly scrubbing grout and tile lines before discoloration sets in.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Charlotte Observer, 30 Apr. 2026
Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 May 2026
Many of the cleaning home habits people rely on every week — from scrubbing grout to running a steam mop — can quietly wear down floors, fixtures and appliances.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 12 May 2026
After scrubbing the dirt and grime, use the garden hose to rinse the vinyl siding.
—Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 May 2026
Spray the inside of the oven and let sit for 30+ minutes before scrubbing it down.
—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 11 May 2026
And while scrubbing grout feels productive, aggressive pressure can wear away the protective sealant and damage the grout lines themselves.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Kansas City Star, 11 May 2026
Then, let the paste sit for a few minutes before scrubbing away with a clean cloth to reveal like-new furniture with no superficial scratches.
—Alexandra Kelly, Martha Stewart, 9 May 2026
The giant operating room, with its other-worldly machines and too many doctors and nurses to count, lay on the other side of two glass doors, and next to me seven more nurses and doctors were scrubbing in.
—Literary Hub, 7 May 2026
Lightly scrubbing grout and tile lines before discoloration sets in.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Charlotte Observer, 30 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scrubbing
Verb
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The telltale sign is a one-way voyage to Alang, India, or Aliaga, Turkey—the locations of shipyards that handle the majority of cruise ship scrapping.—
Elizabeth Heath,
Travel + Leisure,
1 May 2026
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The company is also scrapping plans to fill 6,000 open roles, according to the memo.—
Jennifer Elias,
CNBC,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Musk is currently embroiled in a court battle against OpenAI, accusing CEO Sam Altman and Greg Brockman of abandoning the company’s original nonprofit creed of developing open-source AI to benefit humans by turning it into a for-profit entity.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
13 May 2026
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The report comes as Netflix, which is the largest subscription streaming platform in the world by far, is charting a path forward on its own after abandoning its pursuit of Warner Bros.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
12 May 2026
Verb
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So why are commercial airlines canceling thousands of seats across the globe?—
Jim Edwards,
Fortune,
14 May 2026
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From Meghan Trainor and Zayn to the Pussycat Dolls, artists are canceling their concert tours because of unsold tickets.—
Devika Rao,
TheWeek,
13 May 2026
Verb
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While several council members have discussed revoking funding for the project, there’s also been a consensus it’s needed to address congestion and safety.—
Desiree Mathurin,
Charlotte Observer,
12 May 2026
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Authorities did not give a firm timeline for revoking those orders, but did say that emergency water pickups will continue through that step.—
Paula Wethington,
CBS News,
12 May 2026
Verb
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Apollo 13 zoomed around the Moon after famously aborting its lunar landing mission.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
7 Apr. 2026
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Just before Sunday’s collision, controllers were dealing with another plane that had declared an emergency after aborting a takeoff and smelling an odor on the plane.—
Alexandra Skores,
CNN Money,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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One analysis found that repealing the Jones Act could save consumers $769 million annually in petroleum shipping costs.—
Katelyn Bledsoe,
Boston Herald,
8 May 2026
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And while the law largely governs toxins, the rollback has also undermined action on climate change, including repealing the legal theory used to classify greenhouse gas emissions like carbon dioxide as regulated pollutants.—
Mark Olalde,
ProPublica,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scrubbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrubbing. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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