as in murder
the intentional and unlawful taking of another person's life
the mafia boss ordered a rubout as casually as you might order a pizza
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in to destroy
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of
aerial bombs rubbed out the oil refinery
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to assassinate
to put to death deliberately
an elaborate setup to rub out rival mobsters
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to eradicate
to destroy all traces of
a promise to rub out the city's drug trade
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of rubout
Kevin Paul Dupont, BostonGlobe.com, 13 May 2023
The Penguins were rubbed out easily Tuesday night by the resurgent Devils, 5-1, a dispiriting loss that dipped them 1 point out of a wild-card spot behind the Panthers and Islanders.
—Kevin Paul Dupont, BostonGlobe.com, 8 Apr. 2023
But church officials warn that secularization more than anything led them to rub out the godparents, a Sicilian thing that’s been going on for 2,000 years, or at least since the church’s dicey first days, when sponsors known to bishops vouched for converts to prevent pagan infiltration.
—New York Times, 16 Oct. 2021
The resort can arrange a local masseuse to rub out all that daring inside the comfort of your cabin.
—Rina Nehdar, Travel + Leisure, 4 Mar. 2022
See all Example Sentences for rubout 
Verb
Leach, subsequently dealt from the Seals to the Flyers in May 1974, won the Cup with the Broad Streeters in ‘75 and amassed his 19 the following spring, when they were rubbed out by the Canadiens, 4-0, in the Cup Final.
—Kevin Paul Dupont, BostonGlobe.com, 13 May 2023
The Penguins were rubbed out easily Tuesday night by the resurgent Devils, 5-1, a dispiriting loss that dipped them 1 point out of a wild-card spot behind the Panthers and Islanders.
—Kevin Paul Dupont, BostonGlobe.com, 8 Apr. 2023
But church officials warn that secularization more than anything led them to rub out the godparents, a Sicilian thing that’s been going on for 2,000 years, or at least since the church’s dicey first days, when sponsors known to bishops vouched for converts to prevent pagan infiltration.
—New York Times, 16 Oct. 2021
The resort can arrange a local masseuse to rub out all that daring inside the comfort of your cabin.
—Rina Nehdar, Travel + Leisure, 4 Mar. 2022
See all Example Sentences for rubout
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rubout
Noun
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With some rare exceptions, a person must be convicted of first-degree murder in Idaho to be eligible for the death penalty.—
Kevin Fixler,
Idaho Statesman,
7 Feb. 2025
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After pleading guilty earlier this year to third-degree murder in the overdose death of a Savage man, Tino Andre Jones Jr., 34, of Woodbury, was sentenced to 135 months in prison Dec. 22.—
Alex Malm,
Twin Cities,
7 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Palestinians who have been sheltering in squalid tent camps and schools-turned-shelters for over a year are eager to return to their homes — even though they have likely been damaged or destroyed.—
Wafaa Shurafa, Samy Magdy,
TIME,
27 Jan. 2025
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The wildfires that burned through much of Los Angeles County earlier this month wreaked havoc across the region, burning down entire neighborhoods and destroying more than 17,000 structures, many of which were homes.—
Joel Thayer,
Newsweek,
27 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Garfield was assassinated by a disgruntled and delusional office-seeker named Charles Guiteau.—
Mo Rocca,
CBS News,
26 Jan. 2025
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The mountain’s name will revert to Mount McKinley, named for William McKinley, the 25th President of the United States, who was assassinated on September 14, 1901.—
Jayme Moye,
Outside Online,
24 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Prions behave differently than viruses and bacteria and are virtually impossible to eradicate.—
Jim Robbin,
Twin Cities,
7 Feb. 2025
-
However, the longer the marathon, the more the runners’ energy reserves are drained, making reaching the finish line – eradicating cancer, say – increasingly difficult.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
4 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The dead man found hog-tied on the side of a highway earlier this week has been identified as a 57-year-old Queens resident as NYPD detectives launch a homicide investigation, police said Friday.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
7 Feb. 2025
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The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled his death a homicide caused by complications of blunt force injuries to his head.—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
6 Feb. 2025
Verb
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However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.—
Tanasia Kenney,
Miami Herald,
3 Feb. 2025
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The Weeknd nearly ruins the weekend Ladies and gentlemen, the… weakest link of the night?—
Gerrad Hall,
EW.com,
3 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Buffy the Vampire Slayer might live to slay another day.—
Sydney Bucksbaum,
EW.com,
3 Feb. 2025
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The bipartisan act, the first piece of legislation approved during Trump’s second term, was named for Riley, a 22-year-old Georgia nursing student who was slain last year by a Venezuelan man in the U.S. illegally.—
Will Weissert,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Jan. 2025
Verb
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President Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship threatens to erase the futures of countless children—children whose potential will go untapped, whose contributions to art, science, and justice might never be realized.—
Paola Mendoza,
TIME,
24 Jan. 2025
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Despite that, Djokovic played well enough to erase a deficit and overcome Alcaraz in four sets.—
Howard Fendrich,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near rubout
Cite this Entry
“Rubout.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rubout. Accessed 10 Feb. 2025.
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