as in polished
having a shiny surface or finish
the rubbed brass of the wall sconce showed my reflection
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in eroded
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 scraped
to make smooth by friction
the furniture restorer rubbed the board perfectly smooth with sandpaper
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in smoothed
to make smooth or glossy usually by repeatedly applying surface pressure
the butler rubbed the silver tea set until it gleamed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rubbed
Adjective
-
Express is a very polished and well-featured product that lets users jump straight into just about any digital design task, but it’s particularly suited to small businesses or independent content creators.—
Bernard Marr,
Forbes.com,
8 Apr. 2025 -
Previously, Barcelona items have only been available in various leathers, with polished chrome frames.—
Nick Remsen,
CNN Money,
7 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
But yet over the course of the 20th century, that land base eroded and in some instances slowly, but then in other instances rapidly.—
Tax Notes Staff,
Forbes.com,
8 Apr. 2025
-
Yet, those very gains can be eroded if you’re locked into an outdated, costly model.—
Roman Vorel,
Forbes.com,
7 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
These models are trained on vast, unlicensed datasets scraped from internet and music platforms.—
Virginie Berger,
Forbes,
30 Dec. 2024
-
However, Large Language Models have scraped most of the data that is easily available Expect 2025 to show increasing efforts to obtain data, whether these are business contracts to acquire data, labeling systems to curate yet-untapped data, deploying more sensors, and so on.—
Nisha Talagala,
Forbes,
30 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Her makeup included bold brows, a slightly smokey eye and a glossy lip for added definition.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
9 Apr. 2025
-
It is often recognized for its lightweight, non-sticky texture and soft, glossy finish.—
Corein Carter,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The mac and cheese is coated with buttery bubbly cheese and is just as comforting for these colder months.—
Kaitlyn Rosati,
New York Daily News,
25 Dec. 2024
-
The outer surfaces were then sanded, covered with rice paper, coated, painted, and polished to a smooth hydrodynamic finish.—
David Szondy,
New Atlas,
25 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Crumb desecrated sleek American surfaces in a way that felt disturbing and profound, especially to the many young people also dropping acid.—
Gal Beckerman,
The Atlantic,
14 Apr. 2025
-
The cruise line, with its sleek design, balcony hammocks and Instagram-friendly onboard spaces, has been a hit with younger guests.—
Nathan Diller,
USA Today,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
When Matt Shaw grounded out with two runners on to end the 6-3 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 2 of the Tokyo Series, Counsell was promptly criticized for batting the rookie ahead of Dansby Swanson.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Mar. 2025
-
However, as long as we're grounded and globe-trotting, the film's Bond girls dress for their environs.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Pop a satin version on top of your usual night-out curls to make the 'do feel glamorous.—
Jasmine Washington,
Seventeen,
18 Jan. 2023
-
From satin pillowcases to a hydrating moisturizer, all of these products are on sale for less than $25.—
Isabel Garcia,
Peoplemag,
13 Jan. 2023
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.
Cite this Entry
“Rubbed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rubbed. Accessed 21 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share