rule out

verb

ruled out; ruling out; rules out

transitive verb

1
2
: to make impossible : prevent
heavy rain ruled out the picnic

Examples of rule out in a Sentence

another loss would rule them out of the tournament
Recent Examples on the Web Minns ruled out allowing security guards to carry stun guns or firearms though, and gave no further details. Helen Regan, CNN, 15 Apr. 2024 If approved, the blood test may act as a preliminary test to rule out cases and identify which patients should undergo more advanced testing, Parnas said. Binghui Huang, The Indianapolis Star, 15 Apr. 2024 If people mention memory trouble, doctors must rule out reversible causes like thyroid problems, vitamin deficiencies, medication issues or depression, Kulshreshtha said. Tom Murphy, Quartz, 12 Apr. 2024 Lopez said investigators still don’t know whether anyone other than the security guard was wounded by the time police arrived, which would have been more concerning to the officers on the scene, but it can’t be ruled out. David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 10 Apr. 2024 The Biden campaign has not ruled out agreeing to the debates, according to a person with direct knowledge of the discussions, who requested anonymity to share details intended to be private. Michael M. Grynbaum, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2024 Airlifting the calf out of the water with a helicopter also has not been ruled out, although that plan is no longer the primary option, Cottrell said. Andrew Jeong, Washington Post, 6 Apr. 2024 Status update The Celtics will be missing two starters as Brown and White have both been ruled out for Friday’s game against the Kings. Jason Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 5 Apr. 2024 Rhodes indicated the newspaper is weighing its options, but didn’t rule out a lawsuit. Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 3 Apr. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rule out.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1658, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of rule out was circa 1658

Dictionary Entries Near rule out

Cite this Entry

“Rule out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rule%20out. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

rule out

verb
: to eliminate the possibility of

More from Merriam-Webster on rule out

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