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.
have rubbed
-
present perfectof rub.present perfect
Used to describe actions that started in the past and continue into or have direct relevance to the 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.
But the plans have rubbed some the wrong way.
From Barron's ● Jun. 26, 2026
Uzzaman wants to instill the fundamentals, but he said the students’ focus may have rubbed off on him.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 15, 2025
Professional wrestling and MMA have rubbed shoulders for decades, with athletes crossing between disciplines, but never before have the two worlds been as united.
From BBC ● Apr. 4, 2023
"I know perhaps some of the things he says have rubbed different people the wrong way," Lai Jiang told Reuters after buying a copy in Singapore.
From Reuters ● Jan. 10, 2023
So it must have rubbed him the wrong way to see Elizebeth winning battles against smugglers and gangsters in the 1920s and 1930s.
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
