1
as in wearing
to damage or diminish by continued friction
the brake pads were rubbed away as a result of years of use
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in grinding
to make smooth by friction
the furniture restorer rubbed the board perfectly smooth with sandpaper
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in polishing
to make smooth or glossy usually by repeatedly applying surface pressure
the butler rubbed the silver tea set until it gleamed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rubbing
Over the years, Braunwald continued his work, his brusque manner occasionally rubbing his subordinates and colleagues the wrong way.
—
Lawrence K. Altman, STAT, 7 May 2026
Prune branches that are rubbing against each other, are low to the ground, or have leaves that are turning brown, to ensure healthy airflow.
—Kate McKenna, The Spruce, 3 May 2026
Harvest quinoa by hitting the flower stalks against a hard surface or rubbing them between your hands to separate the seeds from the flower parts or chaff.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Apr. 2026
An employee washed hands for less than 10 seconds at the sushi bar, and the inspector wants to see 10-15 seconds of your hands rubbing each other.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rubbing
Lawrence K. Altman, STAT, 7 May 2026
Prune branches that are rubbing against each other, are low to the ground, or have leaves that are turning brown, to ensure healthy airflow.
—Kate McKenna, The Spruce, 3 May 2026
Harvest quinoa by hitting the flower stalks against a hard surface or rubbing them between your hands to separate the seeds from the flower parts or chaff.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Apr. 2026
An employee washed hands for less than 10 seconds at the sushi bar, and the inspector wants to see 10-15 seconds of your hands rubbing each other.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rubbing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rubbing
Verb
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On her lunch break, mama walks us over to the library still wearing her scrubs.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
-
Laneda taught Sunday school, and her sons were Cornerstone ushers, wearing white gloves and delivering a welcome address to visitors at the start of Sunday services.—
Jason Zengerle,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
Verb
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Conventionally, cement is made by grinding up limestone and heating up to around 3,000 degrees.—
Alex Knapp,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
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The stock peaked near $570, rolled over hard, and spent months grinding through a deep correction that took it all the way back to the low $300s.—
Josh Brown,Sean Russo,
CNBC,
18 May 2026
Verb
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While rivals like the Tacoma and Colorado constantly reinvent themselves, Nissan tends to take the long road by refining, tweaking, and polishing instead of blowing everything up every few years.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
3 May 2026
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Various owners have taken the reins over the years, but all were committed to preserving the bar’s old-school character rather than polishing, upgrading, or updating it away.—
Skye Sherman,
Southern Living,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Psychological safety — which 83% of executives in the MIT Technology Review survey identified as measurably improving AI initiative outcomes — is eroding inside those same initiatives.—
Julie Averill,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
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More broadly, the NFL is eroding the scarcity that helped turn the sport into America’s dominant television property.—
Bobby Burack OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
14 May 2026
Verb
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For example, individual filers can receive up to $994, couples filing jointly can receive $1,491, and those providing essential care to SSI recipients can receive up to $498.—
Adisa Hargett-Robinson,
The Washington Examiner,
17 May 2026
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The Alabama Supreme Court dismissed their appeal, calling the conduct egregious, and barred the lawyer from filing in that court again without co-counsel sign-off.—
Alexandra Smyth,
Fortune,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
Pour the filling into the unbaked pie crust, smoothing the top.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
10 May 2026
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It’s designed with side-smoothing panels, separated cups, and wide, adjustable straps.—
Jamie Allison Sanders,
PEOPLE,
10 May 2026
Verb
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Cracks in the casing, a stiff or fraying cord, or discoloration around outlets mean that your power strip is failing.—
Louise Parks,
Martha Stewart,
16 May 2026
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The dobby border reinforces vulnerable areas, helping prevent fraying and stretching over time.—
Jessica Safavimehr,
Southern Living,
8 May 2026
Verb
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By contrast, the years since then saw game designers formalizing language around the craft, focusing on sanding off rough edges, and holding the player’s hand to make sure no player had a bad experience because of an edge case.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
19 May 2026
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Rolls-Royce artisans later sealed each piece beneath ten layers of lacquer before sanding and polishing the surfaces to the mirror-like finish expected of the brand.—
Matthew MacConnell,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rubbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rubbing. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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