rule out

verb

ruled out; ruling out; rules out

transitive verb

1
2
: to make impossible : prevent
heavy rain ruled out the picnic

Examples of rule out in a Sentence

another loss would rule them out of the tournament
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
His lack of drawing skill, combined with his knowledge of what had been achieved in five hundred years of Western painting, seemed to rule out any attempt to paint on canvas in a traditional sense. Calvin Tomkins, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024 But Trump didn’t rule out pardoning individuals who pleaded guilty, including when host Kristen Welker asked him about people who had admitted to assaulting police officers. Sarah D. Wire, USA TODAY, 8 Dec. 2024 Neither team had the star power of Inter Miami, especially after Galaxy playmaker Riqui Puig was ruled out of the game with a torn anterior cruciate ligament sustained in the Western Conference final. Dylan Hernández, Los Angeles Times, 8 Dec. 2024 Especially when star forward LeBron James was ruled out because of left foot soreness, in addition to Austin Reaves missing his fifth consecutive game because of a bruised left pelvis. Khobi Price, Orange County Register, 8 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for rule out 

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1658, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of rule out was circa 1658

Dictionary Entries Near rule out

Cite this Entry

“Rule out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rule%20out. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

rule out

verb
: to eliminate the possibility of

More from Merriam-Webster on rule out

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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