rule out
verb
ruled out; ruling out; rules out
2
: to make impossible : prevent
heavy rain ruled out the picnic
Synonyms
Examples of rule out in a Sentence
another loss would rule them out of the tournament
Recent Examples on the Web
Florida’s state wildlife and environmental agencies have ruled out exposure to red tide, water temperature and salinity.
—
Max Chesnes, Orlando Sentinel, 26 June 2024
The reality is that Earth-like planets are probably rare, but that doesn’t rule out E.T.
—Big Think, 24 June 2024
Listen to this article City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams wouldn’t rule out Thursday that this year’s municipal budget could be late amid continued friction between her Democratic majority and Mayor Adams’ administration.
—Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 20 June 2024
Listen to this article After the Supreme Court overturned the Trump administration’s bump stock ban last week, critics complained that the justices had interpreted the Second Amendment in a way that rules out perfectly reasonable gun regulations.
—Jacob Sullum, Orange County Register, 20 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for rule out 
Max Chesnes, Orlando Sentinel, 26 June 2024
The reality is that Earth-like planets are probably rare, but that doesn’t rule out E.T.
—Big Think, 24 June 2024
Listen to this article City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams wouldn’t rule out Thursday that this year’s municipal budget could be late amid continued friction between her Democratic majority and Mayor Adams’ administration.
—Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 20 June 2024
Listen to this article After the Supreme Court overturned the Trump administration’s bump stock ban last week, critics complained that the justices had interpreted the Second Amendment in a way that rules out perfectly reasonable gun regulations.
—Jacob Sullum, Orange County Register, 20 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for rule out
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rule out.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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 4 Jul. 2024.
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