rub out

verb

rubbed out; rubbing out; rubs out

transitive verb

: to obliterate by or as if by rubbing

: to destroy completely

specifically : kill, murder

somebody rubbed him out … with a twenty-two

Raymond Chandler

rubout

ˈrəb-ˌau̇t

noun

Example Sentences

aerial bombs rubbed out the oil refinery an elaborate setup to rub out rival mobsters

Recent Examples on the Web The resort can arrange a local masseuse to rub out all that daring inside the comfort of your cabin.

Rina Nehdar, Travel + Leisure, 4 Mar. 2022 The man, Eric Charles Maund, whose family runs Volkswagen and Toyota dealerships in and around Austin, is alleged to have hired the trio to rub out Holly Williams, 33, and William Lanway, 36, in March 2020, police and prosecutors said.

NBC News, 13 Dec. 2021 His mission, ostensibly, is to retrieve the sword and rub out Akemi, who’s just turned 21 and unknowingly inherited the Kawa crime family empire.

Richard Kuipers, Variety, 30 Aug. 2021 For at-home maintenance, Away (which doesn’t cover superficial markings under warranty), recommends using a Magic Eraser sponge to rub out scuffs and scratches, while Rimowa suggests using isopropyl alcohol as a cleaning and restoring agent.

Laura Neilson, WSJ, 18 Mar. 2021 Robby Fabbri put in a hard shift to set up the goal; Nikita Zadorov tried to rub out Fabbri along the boards, but Fabbri refused to be denied space.

Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press, 28 Feb. 2021 Exotic has served a year of his more than 20-year sentence for attempting to hire a hitman to rub out Baskin.

Ben Feuerherd, Fox News, 21 Jan. 2021 Use a dry erase marker instead of a Sharpie when designing to easily rub out any mistakes or errant marks.

Beth Segal, cleveland, 15 Oct. 2020 An extensive torture campaign has been documented by human rights workers, intended to rub out any sense of disloyalty from the military.

Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, 21 Jan. 2020 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'rub out.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.