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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Blackwell is serving a sentence of life without the possibility of parole for first-degree murder.

— Richard Ramos, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026
The murder case descended into chaos when allegations that court clerk Rebecca Hill made inappropriate comments to jurors while the trial was ongoing.

— Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of murder

Verb

Vendors said enforcement sweeps that began earlier this year have threatened their livelihoods, with authorities confiscating vending equipment and, in some cases, destroying it.

— Da Lin, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
One of those, the USS Gerald R Ford, also reported problems earlier this year, from toilets that weren’t working to a laundry fire that briefly stopped combat operations and destroyed some sleeping quarters.

— Mustafa Qadri, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of destroy

Verb

Experts say the changes mark a shift in approach compared to the more cautious tone under Mojtaba’s father, Ali Khamenei, who was supreme leader until assassinated by Israel at the start of the war.

— Tim Lister, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026
Orders the Navy’s Seal Team 6 to assassinate a political rival?

— Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of assassinate

Verb

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
Smallpox, which was eradicated in 1980 and no longer naturally circulates, was once one of the world's deadliest diseases.

— Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of eradicate

Noun

The death of an inmate at California State Prison, Sacramento, is being investigated as a homicide, officials said on Tuesday.

— Richard Ramos, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026
The medical examiner’s office ruled the manner of death as a homicide and the cause of death to be blunt force trauma to the head at the time of the killing, according to the arrest report.

— Avni Trivedi, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of homicide

Verb

Campione said her campaign was focused on protecting rural lands from being annexed into cities for rural subdivisions and stopping activities that could ruin water quality or override property rights.

— James Wilkins, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2026
But the mellow vibes are ruined when a goofy case of mistaken identity results in Frankie coming home with a briefcase containing several vials of a glowing orange goo.

— Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of ruin

Verb

No two tales of what happened to Maelor after his knight protector was shot dead agree, but the young boy was also slain on the bridge, perhaps torn apart by the mob who assailed him, arguing over what to do with the young prince.

— Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
The Manson murders spawned at least one copycat slaying in February 1970, The New York Times reported.

— Jessica Sager, PEOPLE, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of slay

Verb

Their efforts have successfully erased half the population from public life and made Afghanistan one of the world’s most dangerous places to be a woman.

— Kara Fox, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2026
But what frightened me most was not death alone, but the idea of dying before my writings reached the world—that my story would disappear with me, and that my feelings, my memories, my identity, and my human experience would be erased.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of erase

Browse Nearby Words

rubicund

rubout

rub out

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Style

“Rubout.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rubout. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of rubout

noun

verb

Example Sentences

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