rub
verb (used with object)
to subject the surface of (a thing or person) to pressure and friction, as in cleaning, smoothing, polishing, coating, massaging, or soothing.
are rubbing
-
present progressiveof rub.present progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or state that is currently taking place in the immediate present.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
President Donald Trump’s latest financial disclosures, released Tuesday by the U.S. government, are rubbing salt in their wounds.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 2, 2026
“But it was also beginning to show how we are rubbing shoulders with animals and sometimes we don’t even know it.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2023
“Some people are rubbing salt in the wounds of those who are suffering,” one commenter wrote of the conference online.
From New York Times ● Oct. 12, 2022
Fans are rubbing elbows with their favorite players to get those coveted autographs.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 16, 2022
I have lost so much weight it feels as if my joints are rubbing against each other, making my body ache.
From "First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers" by Loung Ung
