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Synonyms

root out

British  

verb

  1. (tr, adverb) to remove or eliminate completely

    we must root out inefficiency
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
root out Idioms  

  1. Search for, seek to discover, as in He was trying to root out the reason for her long absence. This idiom alludes to the way hogs dig by using their snouts. [Mid-1800s]

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.

Changes to reporting and consultation duties involve a higher bar for including them in legislation and using artificial intelligence to root out "disproportionate" ones.

From BBC

The industry said it supports rooting out suspected fraud and negligence.

From MarketWatch

The case drew widespread attention and revived concerns that the department had failed to root out a culture of intolerance that led to past scandals.

From Los Angeles Times

The post-tournament debrief needs to root out the reason behind such tame showings in defeat by Scotland, Ireland and Italy.

From BBC

And he never stopped, partly because graft is hard to root out from the system.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.