as in to exclude
to prevent the participation, consideration, or inclusion of
another loss would rule them out of the tournament
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rule out
Democrats have expressed fears that this could result in ICE officers surrounding polling stations — a possibility White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt did not rule out.
—
The Hill, 12 Feb. 2026
After Bucks guard Ryan Rollins was ruled out ahead of Wednesday’s game between Orlando and Milwaukee at Kia Center because of right foot plantar fasciitis, coach Doc Rivers made a big adjustment from Monday’s contest that his team lost by 19 points.
—Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 Feb. 2026
Iranian officials have ruled out putting its missiles, one of the largest such arsenals in the Middle East, up for discussion.
—Yuliya Talmazan, NBC news, 11 Feb. 2026
The Australian contingent has suffered multiple injuries at the Olympics, including snowboard halfpipe hopeful Misaki Vaughan, who was ruled out after hitting her head in a fall.
—David Matthews, New York Daily News, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rule out
The Hill, 12 Feb. 2026
After Bucks guard Ryan Rollins was ruled out ahead of Wednesday’s game between Orlando and Milwaukee at Kia Center because of right foot plantar fasciitis, coach Doc Rivers made a big adjustment from Monday’s contest that his team lost by 19 points.
—Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 Feb. 2026
Iranian officials have ruled out putting its missiles, one of the largest such arsenals in the Middle East, up for discussion.
—Yuliya Talmazan, NBC news, 11 Feb. 2026
The Australian contingent has suffered multiple injuries at the Olympics, including snowboard halfpipe hopeful Misaki Vaughan, who was ruled out after hitting her head in a fall.
—David Matthews, New York Daily News, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rule out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rule out
Verb
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Core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, came in line with expectations.—
Lisa Kailai Han,Sean Conlon,Sawdah Bhaimiya,
CNBC,
13 Feb. 2026
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Asia, excluding Japan, accounts for about 26 percent of LVMH’s business, and includes high-growth countries such as Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam.—
Miles Socha,
Footwear News,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, sign language was banned in many Deaf schools, and children were required to attempt to speak and read lips.—
Claire Rafford,
IndyStar,
9 Feb. 2026
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In the wake of that incident — and a similar one involving then-Iowa women’s star Caitlin Clark the same week — there was debate around the sport about whether court storms needed to be banned moving forward, lest players be injured during them.—
Brendan Marks,
New York Times,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The judge also barred Jones’ attorneys from presenting evidence related to other people confessing to the murder, allegedly placing a hit on Pata and threatening Pata before his killing.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
10 Feb. 2026
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The proposal bolsters a 2017 law generally barring cities from passing laws to limit short-term rentals.—
Mark Dee,
Idaho Statesman,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Their biggest criticism is that CIC wants to eliminate the herd, instead of managing it through regulated hunting.—
Kris Millgate,
Outdoor Life,
6 Feb. 2026
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As the old trick says, baking soda can help eliminate odors in the fridge.—
Ashlyn Needham,
The Spruce,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Wilson isn’t alone in shutting out the noise of the industry’s upheaval.—
Shirley Li,
The Atlantic,
11 Feb. 2026
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High school prospects who previously would have merited Football Championship Subdivision scholarship offers now are only getting Division II offers, and those who before the portal were worthy of Division II offers are getting shut out.—
Ken Sugiura,
AJC.com,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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That is not the case under a strong-mayor system, where councilmembers are frozen out of operational decisions and responsibility.—
Steven Falk,
Mercury News,
6 Feb. 2026
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And businesses from Australian wine makers to Norwegian salmon farmers have been frozen out of the massive China market in recent years when their governments fell foul of Beijing.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Understanding how these factors can cause colon cancer goes a long way in helping prevent it.—
Alyssa Goldberg,
USA Today,
12 Feb. 2026
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Some were concerned the federal government would take the land or prevent access.—
Susanne Rust
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Chung Hyeon, the 2018 Australian Open semifinalist who saw Achilles and back injuries derail his career, and Kwon Soon-woo, whose ranking has been depressed by military service that prohibits his playing outside South Korea, stunning Argentina.—
James Hansen,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
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The new restrictions, which took effect last week, prohibit people from carrying open containers and stop vendors from selling alcohol outdoors.—
Abby Dodge,
CBS News,
8 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rule out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rule%20out. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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