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
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 rubout
Gia Yetikyel, Vogue, 31 Aug. 2024
Even so, the line about YB is specific enough to stay, since the suspects are accused of conspiring to rub out his killer, Cogan stated.
—John Annese, New York Daily News, 24 Mar. 2024
Each wipe comes pre-soaked in Shout stain fighter and is designed with a textured surface that creates extra friction to rub out stains.
—Katherine Alex Beaven, Travel + Leisure, 27 Nov. 2023
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
See All Example Sentences for rubout
Verb
Apply additional pressure while attempting to rub out these stains, but don't go crazy.
—Gia Yetikyel, Vogue, 31 Aug. 2024
Even so, the line about YB is specific enough to stay, since the suspects are accused of conspiring to rub out his killer, Cogan stated.
—John Annese, New York Daily News, 24 Mar. 2024
Each wipe comes pre-soaked in Shout stain fighter and is designed with a textured surface that creates extra friction to rub out stains.
—Katherine Alex Beaven, Travel + Leisure, 27 Nov. 2023
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
See All Example Sentences for rubout
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rubout
Noun
-
Cody Balmer, 38, pleaded guilty on Tuesday in a Pennsylvania courtroom to attempted murder and other charges connected to the April arson of Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro's home.—
Jenna Sundel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Bartnik was detained at the scene and ultimately charged with murder, per the release.—
Tabitha Parent,
PEOPLE,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The fear of further Israeli strikes, particularly on Iran, remains acute in the public’s mind as much of Iranian air defenses likely were destroyed by Israel in June.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
12 Oct. 2025
-
The Wild were absolutely destroyed in the faceoff circle, losing 44 of 71 (38 percent success rate).—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
12 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
It's been one month since Charlie Kirk was assassinated while participating in a debate event at Utah Valley University (UVU), and still several questions remain.—
Rachel Wolf,
FOXNews.com,
11 Oct. 2025
-
That was followed by a shiny-happy coda, a significant time jump, and then the launch of a brand-new case involving a plot to assassinate the governor of California and/or POTUS.—
Matt Webb Mitovich,
TVLine,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Lead poisoning, all but eradicated in the West, still harms millions of children in the developing world, with lead-acid battery recycling a key culprit.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Each of these roles — and several others — catered to the warmth and wit of an actress who helped eradicate regressive notions of what a Hollywood funnywoman could do.—
Tim Grierson,
Rolling Stone,
11 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The Philadelphia Police Department’s homicide division is leading the investigation into Scott’s disappearance with assistance from the FBI’s Violent Crime Task Force.—
Dalia Faheid,
CNN Money,
16 Oct. 2025
-
He is being held without bond after being charged with three state counts of vehicular homicide and immigration violations.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Back in January, Preston remembered filming My Best Friend’s Wedding — and how an iconic scene ruined crab and lobster for her.—
Victoria Edel,
PEOPLE,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Packages of flying tortillas thrown at the wrong time, or pocket knives, would only hurt a reputation that Texas Tech has worked doggedly to change and show that the Red Raiders are at home on a national stage, and not the crazy drunk uncle ruining a holiday.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The Buckeyes and Ryan Day still need to slay the Michigan monster at the end of this book, and both have dates with a suddenly feisty UCLA.—
Erick Smith,
USA Today,
13 Oct. 2025
-
But the classic dragon—reptilian, treasure-hoarding, and doomed to be slain—feels distinctly Indo-European.—
Manvir Singh,
New Yorker,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
After a sleepy start, the Americans came to life throughout the middle third of the game, and erased an early 1-0 deficit to end their October camp on a high note.—
Paul Tenorio,
New York Times,
15 Oct. 2025
-
Many of those drivers could have stemmed or erased their losses simply by waiting for another year or two and paying off some or all of the remaining loan balance, Drury said.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
15 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rubout.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rubout. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share