RUB OUT Synonyms: 232 Similar and Opposite Words

rubout 1 of 2

noun

Definition of rubout

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

rub out

2 of 2

verb

as in to destroy

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 to assassinate

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Noun

Investigators suspect Robinson wanted the rubout. — Gail Sheehy, Vanity Fair, 20 Feb. 2026

Verb

The News started a morning edition to rub out its competitor. — Tim Kiska, Detroit Free Press, 21 Dec. 2024 Apply additional pressure while attempting to rub out these stains, but don't go crazy. — Gia Yetikyel, Vogue, 31 Aug. 2024 See All Example Sentences for rubout

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rubout

Noun

The 63-year-old Davis was convicted Monday of murder with the use of a deadly weapon and could be sentenced to life in prison.

— Jonathan Landrum Jr, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026
Clancy, 36, has pleaded not guilty to three counts of murder in the January 2023 strangulation deaths of her three children – Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and Callan, 8 months – at the family's Duxbury, Massachusetts, home.

— Melina Khan, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of murder

Verb

In 2025, Ukraine smuggled over 100 drones into Russia inside cargo trucks to conduct strikes that damaged or destroyed roughly one-third of Russia’s active bomber fleet and caused approximately $7 billion in damages.

— Seth G. Jones, Foreign Affairs, 3 Sep. 2026
Some 36,000 houses and buildings were destroyed or damaged, and more than 2,000 people are still living in evacuation centers, including school gymnasiums and community centers.

— ABC News, ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of destroy

Verb

Tyler Robinson, the man accused of assassinating conservative activist Charlie Kirk, will stand trial after a Utah judge ruled Tuesday that prosecutors presented enough evidence to move forward on all seven charges against him.

— Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 2 Sep. 2026
After Kirk was assassinated, the Congressional Black Caucus put out a statement condemning political violence.

— Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of assassinate

Verb

For decades, deer had populated Santa Rosa Island, but they were eradicated from the island at the end of 2011 to restore its native ecosystem and protect its natural vegetation.

— Noe Padilla, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
Within a year of its onset, the economic depression practically eradicated the need to mint any new coinage for months.

— Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of eradicate

Noun

Troopers from the New Jersey State Police Marine Bureau arrested Kevin Wells, 40, of Warren, New Jersey, on Friday, charging him with vehicular homicide and two counts of assault by vessel while intoxicated.

— Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 1 Sep. 2026
The 10-episode drama stars Liev Schreiber as Jonah Lynn, a former soldier turned homicide detective who moves to a small town in western Pennsylvania after working the tough streets of Philadelphia.

— Maira Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of homicide

Verb

The fight between a small Georgia community and tech giant Meta has escalated this week after four families filed a lawsuit against the company alleging a central Georgia data center project has contaminated their water and ruined their home values.

— Irene Wright, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
Gen, forgetting her swollen wrist, perks up at the thought of having a new person to ruin sheets with.

— Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of ruin

Verb

Given their former friendship, war of words, iconic stature, legacies, and both being slain before their time, Shakur and Wallace’s murder cases have remained intertwined for decades.

— Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 2 Sep. 2026
The hero this time is samurai Miyamoto Musashi, and his job is to slay the demonic Genma that have overrun the land.

— ABC News, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of slay

Verb

That means the race winner could potentially gain 75 points in a single race on another driver, and that has the potential to erase gaps very quickly.

— Jeff Gluck, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Trump is moving to strip California’s emissions authority, end tax credits and erase electric vehicle sales mandates, reshaping the national market while leaving the state’s clean-car future tangled in Washington-level uncertainty.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of erase

Browse Nearby Words

rubicund

rubout

rub out

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Rubout.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rubout. Accessed 6 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of rubout

noun

verb

Example Sentences

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