RULING OUT Synonyms: 49 Similar and Opposite Words

ruling out

verb

present participle of rule out

as in excluding

to prevent the participation, consideration, or inclusion of another loss would rule them out of the tournament

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 ruling out In forensic parlance, a diagnosis of exclusion is one reached by ruling out other plausible causes; drowning can be challenging to prove, because often there’s no telltale sign that one occurred. — Cristian Farias, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2026 Additional checkpoints may help identify gaps or inconsistencies, ruling out the bad actors. — John Bou, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026 Additional observations steadily refined the asteroid's orbit, eliminating any possibility of a collision in 2029 and also ruling out any impact threat for at least the next century, according to NASA. — Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 6 July 2026 After ruling out all other possibilities, Dhingra finally diagnosed Williams with IC‑MPGN, a kidney disease related to the immune system. — Kerry Breen, CBS News, 27 June 2026 Boston is not ruling out the idea is my intel. — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 11 June 2026 But in the decades since PBHs were first proposed, astronomers found clever ways to narrow down their plausible range of masses, ruling out many scenarios in which these black holes could account for dark matter. — Jonathan O'Callaghan, Scientific American, 4 June 2026 Many researchers think quantum computers are at an advantage here, because the process of classically ruling out insignificant configurations can get prohibitively difficult. — Quanta Magazine, 29 May 2026 Investigators are not ruling out weather or any other contributing factors. — Francie Ebert, NBC news, 16 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruling out

Verb

The architecture promotes an indoor-outdoor feel, allowing in views of sea, sky, and desert while excluding distractions.

— Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 3 Oct. 2026
Vylor is thinking about roughly $1 billion in annual share repurchases from 2027 through 2029, excluding major acquisitions, alongside a modest dividend.

— Matthew J. Belvedere, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of excluding

Verb

There's a certain simple logic to the thought of bringing down the price of fuel by banning its export.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026
International efforts to negotiate a new framework banning all weapons in space have stalled because there is no agreement on what counts as a space weapon, among other things, according to Samson.

— ABC News, ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of banning

Verb

The Giants were shutting out the Titans, 12-0, at the start of Sunday’s fourth quarter.

— Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 28 Sep. 2026
Cypress Creek ended the state’s longest winless streak in a big way, shutting out Lake Buena Vista 32-0 to stop the Bears’ skid at 35 consecutive losses.

— Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of shutting out

Verb

Pluto's atmosphere appears to be freezing out as the dwarf planet moves ever further away from the sun, according to careful observations of Pluto astronomers made as it was seen passing in front of stars in the sky.

— Keith Cooper, Space.com, 10 Aug. 2026
The Democratic Party’s nightmare scenario would involve both Republican candidates advancing to November’s general election, freezing out Democrats from the governor’s office for the first time since 2011.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2026

Definition of freezing out

Verb

By eliminating the Braves without needing the full five games, the Dodgers afforded themselves three days off, rather than one, before the league championship series.

— Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026
Consistently blowing past the treat line doesn’t automatically mean eliminating the category.

— Ashley Lynch, Charlotte Observer, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of eliminating

Verb

But there are several other federal and state statutes barring voter intimidation that could apply.

— ABC News, ABC News, 2 Oct. 2026
At the hearing, held in the red-brick state Supreme Court building in Jefferson City, the court found that Hoskins was in contempt of its order barring use of the 2025 map in November.

— Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of barring

Browse Nearby Words

ruling (on)

ruling out

rulings

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Ruling out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruling%20out. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of ruling out

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

inscrutable

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes