as in murder
the intentional and unlawful taking of another person's life
the mafia boss ordered a rubout as casually as you might order a pizza
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in to destroy
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of
aerial bombs rubbed out the oil refinery
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to assassinate
to put to death deliberately
an elaborate setup to rub out rival mobsters
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to eradicate
to destroy all traces of
a promise to rub out the city's drug trade
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of rubout
Kevin Paul Dupont, BostonGlobe.com, 13 May 2023
The Penguins were rubbed out easily Tuesday night by the resurgent Devils, 5-1, a dispiriting loss that dipped them 1 point out of a wild-card spot behind the Panthers and Islanders.
—Kevin Paul Dupont, BostonGlobe.com, 8 Apr. 2023
But church officials warn that secularization more than anything led them to rub out the godparents, a Sicilian thing that’s been going on for 2,000 years, or at least since the church’s dicey first days, when sponsors known to bishops vouched for converts to prevent pagan infiltration.
—New York Times, 16 Oct. 2021
The resort can arrange a local masseuse to rub out all that daring inside the comfort of your cabin.
—Rina Nehdar, Travel + Leisure, 4 Mar. 2022
See all Example Sentences for rubout 
Verb
Leach, subsequently dealt from the Seals to the Flyers in May 1974, won the Cup with the Broad Streeters in ‘75 and amassed his 19 the following spring, when they were rubbed out by the Canadiens, 4-0, in the Cup Final.
—Kevin Paul Dupont, BostonGlobe.com, 13 May 2023
The Penguins were rubbed out easily Tuesday night by the resurgent Devils, 5-1, a dispiriting loss that dipped them 1 point out of a wild-card spot behind the Panthers and Islanders.
—Kevin Paul Dupont, BostonGlobe.com, 8 Apr. 2023
But church officials warn that secularization more than anything led them to rub out the godparents, a Sicilian thing that’s been going on for 2,000 years, or at least since the church’s dicey first days, when sponsors known to bishops vouched for converts to prevent pagan infiltration.
—New York Times, 16 Oct. 2021
The resort can arrange a local masseuse to rub out all that daring inside the comfort of your cabin.
—Rina Nehdar, Travel + Leisure, 4 Mar. 2022
See all Example Sentences for rubout
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rubout
Noun
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After Luigi Mangione allegedly killed Brian Thompson, the C.E.O. of UnitedHealthcare—Mangione has pleaded not guilty—the fact that large numbers of Americans approved of the murder seemed, to some, like proof that the health-insurance system had failed.Joshua Rothman, The New Yorker, 14 Jan. 2025
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The White House also sought to tackle transnational repression by issuing a travel ban on Saudi citizens connected to the murder of Jamal Khashoggi and by tasking federal agencies to reach out to diaspora communities across the United States.Sarah Yager, Foreign Affairs, 14 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The fourth device was located at the marsh and destroyed by the Stamford bomb squad.Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 15 Jan. 2025
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This year, however, will be a much more muted affair, as the Palisades and Eaton Fires have destroyed thousands of homes, killed 25 people and forced more than 150,000 residents to evacuate.Ethan Millman, Rolling Stone, 15 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The honor is not exclusively reserved for presidents, though—there were national days of mourning after the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy were assassinated.Molly Bohannon, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2025
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Catch up quick: After Israel assassinated Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and the Shia militia group suffered a series of defeats, the Biden administration decided to take advantage of the situation and push Lebanese leaders to elect a new president.Barak Ravid, Axios, 9 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Israel then vowed to eradicate Hamas and have since devastated the Palestinian territory.John Mac Ghlionn, Newsweek, 14 Jan. 2025
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Killing female deer weakens a herd’s ability to grow, and officials thought that thinning out deer herds was the key to eradicating the disease and preserving wild herd health.Sophie Hartley, Scientific American, 10 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The killing is Kansas City’s 8th homicide of 2025, according to data maintained by The Star.Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 14 Jan. 2025
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One well publicized homicide later and that consent decree doesn’t seem to mean the same thing.Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 14 Jan. 2025
Verb
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However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.Don Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 9 Jan. 2025
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Well, Neptune and his Wildcats might just be ruining the convenient narrative.CJ Moore, The Athletic, 9 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The projections came as a surprise after the Fed delivered a definitive half-point rate cut in September and messaging that suggested the post-pandemic inflation had been all but slayed.Tobias Burns, The Hill, 8 Jan. 2025
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Indianapolis crime 2024:Brothers slain six days apart among this year's unsolved killings Homicides, shootings and more: How violent was Indianapolis this year?Sarah Nelson, The Indianapolis Star, 31 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The odds are that the response will sit in an internal digital memory buffer for a while and not be immediately erased or discarded.Lance Eliot, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025
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Nearby Altadena, a historically largely Black neighborhood, has essentially been erased from the map.Meagan Jordan, Rolling Stone, 15 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near rubout
Cite this Entry
“Rubout.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rubout. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.
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