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
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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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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Davis has pleaded not guilty to the murder and gang enhancement charges.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA TODAY,
20 Feb. 2025
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Authorities have alleged that the murder was retaliation for a physical altercation between Shakur and Orlando Anderson after a Mike Tyson fight that occurred just hours before Shakur was shot.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
19 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Many other belongings from his tomb are believed to have been relocated due to the flooding that destroyed it.—
Francesca Aton for ArtNews,
Robb Report,
20 Feb. 2025
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Baldoni countersued, accusing Lively, Reynolds and Sloane of seeking to destroy his career.—
Gene Maddaus,
Variety,
20 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Montmartre – Period drama about a young French cancan dancer trying to find her brother and sister, and the person who assassinated her father.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
19 Feb. 2025
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The indictment alleged that prosecutors obtained extensive evidence showing Bolsonaro approved a plot to assassinate his electoral rival, current President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, and Moraes.—
Brady Knox,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
19 Feb. 2025
Verb
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President Donald Trump vowed to eradicate any signs of former President Joe Biden in his Department of Justice on Tuesday night.—
Ross O'Keefe,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
19 Feb. 2025
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Agency supporters told Democratic senators earlier this week that the shutdown — along with other administration steps, including revoking USAID’s lease on its Washington headquarters — was really about eradicating USAID before lawmakers or the courts could stop it.—
Ellen Knickmeyer,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Her death was ruled a homicide, with the cause of death confirmed to be strangulation and blunt-force injuries to the head and neck.—
Lissete Lanuza Sáenz,
StyleCaster,
18 Feb. 2025
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Officers were called to the homicide scene in the 7400 block of Kingswood Circle around 2:40 a.m. on Oct. 4.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
18 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Sometimes, one bad person or a few bad people can ruin things for everybody.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
27 Feb. 2025
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The floods were also a disaster for businesses that lost valuable stock, like a local bookstore which saw $25,000 worth of books ruined, the BBC reported.—
Simon Perry,
People.com,
26 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Cal Fire captain begged for mercy during slaying captured on video, officials say.—
Ryan Fonseca,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Feb. 2025
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Some were slain by their captors and some were killed in Israel's offenses.—
Reuters,
USA TODAY,
27 Feb. 2025
Verb
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This year's storms won't erase looming drought worries across the entire southwestern U.S., experts fear.—
Doyle Rice,
USA TODAY,
21 Feb. 2025
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This relevant and poignant wake-up call warns that one generation can erase a great nation.—
Elizabeth Stanton,
Fox News,
18 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rubout.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rubout. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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