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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.

Banks spend billions a year on anti-money-laundering efforts, often with sprawling teams and software meant to root out financial criminals.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 4, 2026

He would like to see the committee speed up investigations and give it more authority to root out misconduct before lawmakers can resign to avoid accountability.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 26, 2026

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

From BBC • Mar. 14, 2026

The 2025 deal for Skydance to takeover Paramount, CBS's parent company, included the unprecedented promise that the organization would "root out bias that has undermined trust," FCC chairman Brendan Carr said.

From Barron's • Mar. 2, 2026

Still, like any good journalist, he was determined to root out the truth.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

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.