as in headache
something that is a source of irritation
even what seems to be a dream job usually turns out to have its fair share of rubs
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to wear
to damage or diminish by continued friction
the brake pads were rubbed away as a result of years of use
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to sand
to make smooth by friction
the furniture restorer rubbed the board perfectly smooth with sandpaper
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to polish
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.
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Recent Examples of rub
Kyle Stokes, Axios, 1 Apr. 2025
The three of them shared head bonks, muzzle rubs, purrs, and cuddling!!
—Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 31 Mar. 2025
Denny Lee, Travel + Leisure, 5 Apr. 2025
Pearl rubbed Broome’s back as the cart took off down the concourse.
—Joe Rexrode, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rub
Noun
Toki Doki: The Eat Street burger joint is serving wings with both a dry rub and a homemade, gluten-free gochujang sauce.
—Kyle Stokes, Axios, 1 Apr. 2025
The three of them shared head bonks, muzzle rubs, purrs, and cuddling!!
—Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 31 Mar. 2025
Verb
The Gullah Geechee Tea Tox is a 90-minute session that includes a cleansing hot drink made from Indigenous plants, and a detoxifying body rub with neem oil.
—Denny Lee, Travel + Leisure, 5 Apr. 2025
Pearl rubbed Broome’s back as the cart took off down the concourse.
—Joe Rexrode, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rub
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rub
Noun
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Aside from her talk about specific songs, Roan also opened up about the creative process, which can sometimes be a massive headache, despite her being known for her catalog of fun and peppy songs.—
Mathew Rodriguez,
Them.,
17 Apr. 2025
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Making matters worse, China’s been a real headache for Starbucks, even before the tariffs, on increasing local competition and tepid growth in the world’s second-largest economy.—
Morgan Chittum,
CNBC,
16 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Tobacco smoking, not wearing seatbelts and riding motorcycles can reduce years from your healthspan.—
Renée Onque,
CNBC,
17 Apr. 2025
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On April 16, the former Disney star stepped out in Los Angeles wearing the quintessential millennial-outfit formula.—
Emily Tannenbaum,
Glamour,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
This is a major project that requires dismantling, sanding, stripping, and prepping cabinets properly for the best-looking results.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
6 Mar. 2025
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Corbet’s real crush is on the 1990s and 2000s products of high-end, coffee-table-book designers such as Tadao Ando or Peter Zumthor, who favoured singular, funeral monuments, with an obsessive sanding away of brutalism’s rugged surfaces.—
Matt Shaw,
Forbes,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
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When the Doctor is planning to break into memory banks to search for answers about why robots and people suddenly stopped peacefully coexisting, Belinda decides to use a polishing robot to lead the robots to her.—
Jennifer Zhan,
Vulture,
12 Apr. 2025
-
Offer to polish the slides, do research, or bring everything together.—
Sho Dewan,
Forbes.com,
27 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Trees like Texas ebony and mesquite that have thorns to protect them from munching animals and long roots to tap moisture deep within the earth.—
Laura Mallonee,
Wired News,
12 Apr. 2025
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To shield your hands against thorns when pruning, wear leather or leatherlike gloves.—
Beth Botts,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The next mayor must understand that car supremacy cuts into public space, threatens public safety, and erodes the public’s quality of life — just ask the families of 121 pedestrians who were crushed to death by motor vehicles last year, mostly while trying to get from one curb to another.—
Justin Davidson,
Curbed,
18 Apr. 2025
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Rising sea levels not only push back its shorelines, but the encroaching salt water also erodes the country’s limited farmland.—
Kathleen Magramo,
CNN Money,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Now, Lionel Messi and Miami have ground to make up on their home pitch.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
9 Apr. 2025
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On TV and in real life, the bastards were grinding us down.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
8 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Each pad is infused with 10% glycolic acid for gentle exfoliation, tranexamic acid to target dark spots, and niacinamide to smooth and even tone.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
15 Apr. 2025
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His biggest impression was how balanced and smooth the bat felt through the strike zone.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
12 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rub.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rub. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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