rule out
verb
ruled out; ruling out; rules out
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
Boone didn’t rule out the Yankees swapping out a reliever for a fresh arm before Sunday’s game.
—
Brendan Kuty, New York Times, 1 June 2025
She has been ruled out of Sunday’s game and has averaged 15.2 points, 7.6 rebounds, 8.0 assists and 1.8 steals.
—John W. Davis, Oc Register, 31 May 2025
From the start, police ruled out robbery as a motive—nothing had been taken.
—Isadora Wandermurem, Time, 30 May 2025
China claims the self-governing democracy as its own, and Xi hasn’t ruled out taking it by force.
—David Rising, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for rule out
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Brendan Kuty, New York Times, 1 June 2025
She has been ruled out of Sunday’s game and has averaged 15.2 points, 7.6 rebounds, 8.0 assists and 1.8 steals.
—John W. Davis, Oc Register, 31 May 2025
From the start, police ruled out robbery as a motive—nothing had been taken.
—Isadora Wandermurem, Time, 30 May 2025
China claims the self-governing democracy as its own, and Xi hasn’t ruled out taking it by force.
—David Rising, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for rule out
Cite this Entry
“Rule out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rule%20out. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
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