root out
phrasal verb
rooted out; rooting out; roots out
1
: to find and remove (something or someone)
The mayor was determined to root out corruption in city government.
2
: to find (something or someone) after searching for a long time
He finally rooted out the cause of the problem.
Examples of root out in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Most recently, in its quest to institute sweeping changes — rooting out fraud, corruption, waste and inefficiency — the Trump administration created DOGE, the Department of Government Efficiency.
—
Jerry Haar, Baltimore Sun, 19 Feb. 2025
If true, who knew that government bureaucrats found the secret sauce to keep people living longer?
Congressional Democrats: How can anyone expect to root out waste, fraud, and abuse without actually looking at how government agencies spend our tax dollars?
Democrats cry foul here.
—Matt Klink, Orange County Register, 19 Feb. 2025
The billionaire is charged with rooting out wasteful federal spending as the leader of the new Department of Government Efficiency.
—The New York Times, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2025
The case was one of three featuring challenges from states and unions against Musk's efforts to root out waste, fraud and abuse in the federal government.
—Lauren Villagran, USA TODAY, 14 Feb. 2025
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Jerry Haar, Baltimore Sun, 19 Feb. 2025
If true, who knew that government bureaucrats found the secret sauce to keep people living longer?
Congressional Democrats: How can anyone expect to root out waste, fraud, and abuse without actually looking at how government agencies spend our tax dollars?
Democrats cry foul here.
—Matt Klink, Orange County Register, 19 Feb. 2025
The billionaire is charged with rooting out wasteful federal spending as the leader of the new Department of Government Efficiency.
—The New York Times, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2025
The case was one of three featuring challenges from states and unions against Musk's efforts to root out waste, fraud and abuse in the federal government.
—Lauren Villagran, USA TODAY, 14 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for root out
Dictionary Entries Near root out
Cite this Entry
“Root out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/root%20out. Accessed 23 Feb. 2025.
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