as in to exclude
to prevent the participation, consideration, or inclusion of
another loss would rule them out of the tournament
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of rule out
Horford played all of five minutes before being ruled out with right calf tightness.
—
Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 14 Mar. 2026
Drew Eubanks has been ruled out due to left thumb soreness.
—Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 14 Mar. 2026
While Powell and Wiggins were declared out on Wednesday, Herro was listed as questionable and warmed up before being ruled out just minutes before tipoff on Thursday.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 13 Mar. 2026
This cannot be completely ruled out.
—Alec Lewis, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rule out
Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 14 Mar. 2026
Drew Eubanks has been ruled out due to left thumb soreness.
—Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 14 Mar. 2026
While Powell and Wiggins were declared out on Wednesday, Herro was listed as questionable and warmed up before being ruled out just minutes before tipoff on Thursday.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 13 Mar. 2026
This cannot be completely ruled out.
—Alec Lewis, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rule out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rule out
Verb
-
The outcome sets the stage for an April hearing in which attorneys for Tyler Robinson will make their case to exclude TV cameras, microphones and photographers from the courtroom.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Mar. 2026
-
The March 24 debate will feature six candidates but exclude every Democrat of color.—
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Websites would face the choice between banning lawful speech or facing onerous penalties.—
Agustina Vergara Cid,
Oc Register,
15 Mar. 2026
-
South Korea’s national security council called the launches a provocation that violated United Nations Security Council resolutions that bans any ballistic activities by North Korea.—
Hyung-Jin Kim,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The complaint requested that the judge find the administration’s policy violates the First and Fifth Amendments and bar it from being implemented.—
BrieAnna J. Frank,
USA Today,
11 Mar. 2026
-
That contract lapsed after then-President Joe Biden issued an executive order barring the Department of Justice from contracting with private prisons.—
Matthew Kelly,
Kansas City Star,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In addition to straining the CCP’s energy supply lines, eliminating the malign influence of the mullahs would free up the resources of the United States and its allies to confront Chinese aggression against Taiwan and its other neighbors.—
Michael M. Rosen,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Mar. 2026
-
The company says the plant will shut down on April 7, eliminating about 600 full-time jobs and roughly 1,200 seasonal positions.—
Nina Burns,
CBS News,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Magoon Gwath, last year’s freshman and defensive player of the year, was shut out.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s staff took issue with images taken in a rare briefing last week and decided to shut out photographers from two subsequent news conferences.—
Scott Nover,
Washington Post,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The club have also listened to concerns expressed by fans about the next generation of supporters being frozen out, by reintroducing the ‘young adult’ category of season ticket for those aged 18-21.—
Paul Taylor,
New York Times,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Who and the songwriting duo behind all the classics — were completely frozen out and had to hopelessly watch from the sidelines.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
28 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The Democratic senator, who voted for the USMCA trade pact in 2019, is calling for better labor standards, enforcement provisions, wage protections, and updates to origin requirements that prevent China from accessing the North American market through Mexico.—
Morgan Chalfant,
semafor.com,
12 Mar. 2026
-
The finding has the potential to provide a longer runway to make the lifestyle changes that can help reduce risk, and could be used to better identify subjects who could benefit from participating in clinical trials seeking to prevent or treat neurodegenerative disease.—
Paul Sisson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In addition, restaurants and other food service providers would be prohibited from offering single-use items such as utensils, napkins, condiment packets or straws except upon request from customers.—
John Moritz,
Hartford Courant,
15 Mar. 2026
-
The first, titled the Retirement and Personal Savings Protection Act, would prohibit new state personal property taxes.—
Ethan Baron,
Mercury News,
15 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rule out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rule%20out. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
