rubbing out

present participle of rub out
1
as in destroying
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of aerial bombs rubbed out the oil refinery

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
3

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rubbing out
Verb
  • The show revolves around three Texas Hill Country ranching family dynasties locked in a contest for control of the land, and their lives and legacies are threatened by outside forces intent on destroying their way of life.
    Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 19 Sep. 2025
  • The allocation changes regularly, but as of June 2025, according to Business Insider, destroying a tank was worth eight points.
    Tamar Jacoby, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) blasted open border policies after a four-time deportee was convicted of murdering a Tacoma auto dealer.
    Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 16 Sep. 2025
  • Mangione is accused of murdering Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, as Thompson arrived at a hotel in midtown Manhattan on December 4, 2024, after traveling from Minnesota.
    Joshua Rhett Miller Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Childhood vaccinations are widely considered effective and safe—eradicating illnesses that once claimed kids’ lives, such as mumps and polio.
    Sherri Gordon, Parents, 18 Sep. 2025
  • What is the 2026 equivalent of eradicating malaria?
    Will McDuffie, ABC News, 17 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Car designers love them for not ruining the lines of the door with the necessities of real life, but is the benefit from drag reduction worth the safety risk?
    Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 10 Sep. 2025
  • And broadcasting your irritation too loudly risks ruining the atmosphere for everyone else just as much as their yelling or off-key chants.
    Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 6 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Federal investigators say Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old man suspected of assassinating Kirk, has been linked to the crime through a DNA match and note.
    Lauren Green, The Washington Examiner, 16 Sep. 2025
  • Mug shots of Tyler Robinson, who has been accused of assassinating Charlie Kirk, are seen on a television screen.
    Khaleda Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • These services do all the work for you by actively monitoring and systematically erasing your personal information from hundreds of websites.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 19 Sep. 2025
  • Political observers say those redistricting efforts are yet another way of doubling down on the political divide while erasing the middle.
    Amie Parnes, The Hill, 19 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • An image taken on August 19 shows Israeli excavators and bulldozers demolishing buildings in Zeitoun.
    Zeena Saifi, CNN Money, 12 Sep. 2025
  • About 90% of the former Spring Hill Mall is gone and work demolishing the final anchor store set to begin in the next couple of weeks, officials said.
    Gloria Casas, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • An acquisition may, at worst, see a larger business, simply taking out a competitor.
    Trevor Clawson, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
  • In general, airlines try to maximize the number of profitable seats on every flight, and sometimes adding more premium seats means taking out economy seating or reducing the legroom for the cheap seats as well.
    Zach Wichter, USA Today, 18 Sep. 2025
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.

Cite this Entry

“Rubbing out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rubbing%20out. Accessed 22 Sep. 2025.

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