RUBOUT 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

Days before the mistrial, prosecutors dismissed first-degree murder charges against the two men after jurors deadlocked a first time.

— Daniel Hunt, Sacbee.com, 3 Oct. 2026
Armour invoked the murder of Emmett Till while connecting the controversy to America’s history of White women portraying Black people as threats.

— Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of murder

Verb

Noguchi, Nakashima, and Amino were adults on February 19, 1942, when President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which forced Japanese American families to quickly abandon or destroy their property and board trains to the holding centers.

— Robert Sullivan, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2026
Refineries in Russia have been destroyed or damaged by drone attacks.

— Matt Egan, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of destroy

Verb

The 21-year-old Michigan State senior is also head of the local chapter of Turning Point, the group for young conservatives whose founder, Charlie Kirk, was assassinated last year.

— Jacqueline Ganun, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2026
On July 7, 2021, Moïse was assassinated inside his second-floor bedroom.

— Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of assassinate

Verb

But somehow, in the midst of all this frat-boy revelry, Ilya is able to outline his vision for the future, one in which AI will have solved numerous human problems, including eradicating not only cancer but also loneliness and unhappiness.

— Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 7 Oct. 2026
This park is the result of the Tompkins’ passion for this part of the world and their desire to rewild this part of Chile that had been overfarmed and overgrazed to the point of almost eradicating its native flora and fauna.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of eradicate

Noun

Prison authorities are investigating the incident as a homicide, and the Office of the Inspector General has been notified, according to CDCR.

— Michael McGough, Sacbee.com, 7 Oct. 2026
Traffic homicide investigators are responding at the scene and will continue to gather information throughout the day.

— ABC News, ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of homicide

Verb

On Monday, workers hauled out a 200-pound piece of equipment that was ruined by the saltwater and sand carried in on the high tides.

— Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2026
So our goal is to learn how to maximize AI budgets, not ration them and ruin productivity gains.

— Konstantin Klyagin, Forbes.com, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of ruin

Verb

And then the game starts, the nerves dissipate, and the opponent is methodically slayed.

— Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
As global markets demanded higher performance thresholds, Gaydon answered with the ferocious Aston Martin DBX707, a high-velocity machine with premium luxury credentials plus supercar-slaying straight-line velocity.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of slay

Verb

By naming the product of two mergers Skydance, David Ellison relegates two of Hollywood’s founding studios to a sub-brand stew and attempts to erase a bunch of controversial hires.

— Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
First among this unsung cohort are the women of the march, who have been all but erased from the record.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 Oct. 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 9 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of rubout

noun

verb

Example Sentences

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