RUBBING OUT Synonyms: 210 Similar and Opposite Words

rubbing out

verb

present participle of rub out

as in destroying

to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of aerial bombs rubbed out the oil refinery

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in murdering

to put to death deliberately an elaborate setup to rub out rival mobsters

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in eradicating

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 show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of rubbing out Also on the trail is a gangster named Clyde (John Magaro), who’s been sent to redo the job of rubbing out the mysteriously undead Ida. — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rubbing out

Verb

Demonstrators carrying Spanish flags moved toward beachside migrant camps last week, destroying shelters and setting fires as police attempted to keep protesters and migrants apart, according to Spain’s public broadcaster RTVE and news agency EFE.

— Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Several homeowners near Meta’s massive Newton County data center have filed a lawsuit accusing the tech company and others of tainting their water and destroying their rural way of life.

— Zachary Hansen, AJC.com, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of destroying

Verb

Closing arguments took place in the Lindsay Clancy case Thursday, bringing an end to a weekslong trial in which jurors will now determine whether the Massachusetts mother is criminally responsible for murdering her three young children.

— Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 27 Aug. 2026
Earlier this year, two Blythe Street members were convicted of murdering a senior member of their gang whom Romo had deemed a liability.

— Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of murdering

Verb

The brand also claims that this sweeps away plaque rather than just blasting a hole through it, more effectively eradicating the sludgy bacteria.

— Jenny Bailly, Allure, 1 Sep. 2026
Tlaib is also a prominent critic of Israel; her rhetoric has been chastised by Jewish colleagues as an antisemitic call for eradicating Jews, a charge the congresswoman and her supporters reject.

— Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of eradicating

Verb

The Horned Frogs crushed the Tar Heels 48-14 in last year’s season opener at Chapel Hill, ruining the college coaching debut of six-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick.

— Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Aug. 2026
So, are invasives ruining the state’s waters, or is the state on the way to becoming the everyman’s Amazon, embraced by the folks who can’t afford the jungle lodge experience?

— Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of ruining

Verb

Utah prosecutors are turning up the heat on Tyler Robinson, the man accused of assassinating Charlie Kirk, arguing that the evidence against him easily meets the standard required to send the case to trial.

— Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 29 July 2026
Ferrell instead starred as the villainous mogul Jacobim Mugatu, who attempts to brainwash Derek into assassinating the prime minister of Malaysia.

— Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 27 July 2026

Definition of assassinating

Verb

But Bama followed with a 38-3 quarterfinal flop to Indiana, erasing any momentum and placing DeBoer squarely under the microscope entering a pivotal third season.

— Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026
The 68-year-old also lost her husband and her son, who worked at a local hydropower plant, in the flash floods that hit the region on Wednesday, erasing entire communities.

— Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of erasing

Verb

Mansfield Timberview signaled state-title ambitions by demolishing West Mesquite 69-7, while White Settlement Brewer knocked off Class 6A Haltom 31-14 to open Class 5A play.

— Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Aug. 2026
While members of the public and the architectural community have criticized the Rike Tubes for altering the character of Tbilisi’s historic old town, some favored relocating them to a more suitable setting rather than demolishing them.

— Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of demolishing

Verb

There were obstacles to women owning a home, having credit in their own name, and taking out loans, so Parton moved like perfume, wafting through the world of men while always doing things her own way.

— Shima Oliaee, Time, 26 Aug. 2026
Then, when taking out the money, the account holder will have to pay taxes on the withdrawal as ordinary income.

— Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 12 Aug. 2026