rubbed 1 of 2

adjective

as in polished
having a shiny surface or finish the rubbed brass of the wall sconce showed my reflection

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

rubbed

2 of 2

verb

past tense of rub
1
as in eroded
to damage or diminish by continued friction the brake pads were rubbed away as a result of years of use

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2
as in scraped
to make smooth by friction the furniture restorer rubbed the board perfectly smooth with sandpaper

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in smoothed
to make smooth or glossy usually by repeatedly applying surface pressure the butler rubbed the silver tea set until it gleamed

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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 rubbed
Verb
The reaction from Chiefs Kingdom rubbed a former player the wrong way. — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 6 Oct. 2026 If your mane felt a little fried, a few drops rubbed through the ends would suffice for a quick fix. — Valeriya Chupinina, Vogue, 25 Sep. 2026 Hollidge and Eshaghpour were captivated by Frank’s use of straw, which becomes more or less lustrous depending on how hard it’s rubbed (bringing out the material’s natural silica) and can be dyed to achieve different hues. — Jill Singer, Curbed, 23 Sep. 2026 The tacos feature za’atar rubbed swordfish kissed by a wood-burning grill, dabbed with tangy pools of labne and a salsa arabe, similar to harissa. — The Bon Appétit Staff, Bon Appetit Magazine, 24 Aug. 2026 Tragedy, humor and scientific interest rubbed shoulders as Atlanta turned out Thursday night to view the astral spectacle which sent 261 stars streaking across the heavens. — Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 12 Aug. 2026 Jimmy rubbed beer foam off his mustache, and Kath thought of the drunken Norwegian boatman who sank Fanny’s ship. — Literary Hub, 11 Aug. 2026 And the ancient Greeks, meanwhile, rubbed olive oil on their skin. — Popular Science Team, Popular Science, 6 Aug. 2026 An enormous double mutton chop, rubbed with a sweet and aromatic spice blend, and split lengthwise like a scientific specimen to display its rosy pink interior, is inspired by Chinese cumin lamb. — Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 26 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rubbed
  1. polished
  2. eroded
  3. scraped
  4. smoothed
  5. glistening
  6. wore
  7. sanded
  8. coated
Adjective
  • The oval takes center stage in sculptural 14-karat yellow gold links, some polished to a high shine, others outlined in natural-diamond pavé.
    — Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The shoes accented a simple and polished fall ensemble consisting of light green midi skirt, simple gray top and a dark button-down coat with a collar.
    — Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of polished
Verb
  • The deck replacement is necessary because traffic loads on the span have become increasingly heavy, and salt air has eroded bridge materials.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Ongoing inflation has eroded Americans' incomes and soured most consumers on the economy.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of eroded
Verb
  • Her car was found the following day with the decal for her tanning business scraped off the window, and her cellphone was recovered from a lake south of Orlando, according to police.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Here’s a guy who scraped his dollars together, came to the club, and out of all the people there, he gets pulled on stage by Ol’ Dirty Bastard.
    — Christine Imarenezor, VIBE.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of scraped
Verb
  • The ice has been smoothed, the lines are painted, and the teeth are … barely there.
    — OutKick, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Facilities that once smoothed a few weeks of timing now sometimes carry a portfolio for months, occasionally across an entire fundraising cycle.
    — Peter Doyle, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of smoothed
Adjective
  • But many of the film’s most evocative images, often involving groups of soldiers, handsome and glistening and in varying stages of undress, remain just that — images without a strong connection to the larger storytelling.
    — Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Frank O’Hara, with each glistening torso, never fails to tell you something true.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of glistening
Verb
  • The mother-of-two wore a pair of white bottoms with a matching skirt and silk angel wings across her shoulders.
    — Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Kendall Jenner and Hunter Schafer, in Valentino and Prada, respectively, wore two of the evening’s most compelling arguments for black and white evening attire.
    — José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of wore
Verb
  • Whatever marks that remain after pulling the supports away and curing the parts are easily ground or sanded away.
    — Michael Lydick, PC Magazine, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The craftsmanship is on full display, as each spindle is made from solid wood and hand-sanded a few times to show the thorough detailing.
    — Blake Bakkila, Architectural Digest, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of sanded
Verb
  • Researchers then installed the electrodes and coated the structure with sputtered gold.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Increase heat to medium-high; cook, adding more pasta cooking liquid as needed, until pasta is al dente and coated in sauce, 2–3 minutes.
    — Rebecca Firkser, Bon Appetit Magazine, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of coated

Browse Nearby Words

rub
rubbed
rubbed elbows
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Cite this Entry

“Rubbed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rubbed. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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