rub in

British  

verb

1. to spread with pressure, esp in order to cause to be absorbed

2. informal to harp on (something distasteful to a person, of which he or she does not wish to be reminded)

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rub in Idioms  

1. Also, rub it in. Harp on something, especially an unpleasant matter, as in She always rubs in the fact that she graduated with honors and I didn't, or I know I forgot your birthday, but don't keep rubbing it in. This idiom alludes to the expression rub salt into a wound, an action that makes the wound more painful; it dates from medieval times and remains current. [Mid-1800s] Also see rub someone's nose in it.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

rub in

My mom warned me against trying to rub in the detergent, which she explained might actually remove the color of the jeans themselves.

From Salon ● Jul. 28, 2022

The rub, in critics’ eyes, is that Apple previously had installed no functionality on devices that would give it access to user photos — under any circumstances.

From Washington Post ● Aug. 13, 2021

Daniel Crespo had numerous affairs, which he sometimes went out of his way to rub in his wife’s face, according to grand jury testimony. 

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 20, 2017

Now, employees will add the rub in sealed bags so they don’t directly handle raw meat. Workers now marinate meat after restaurants close to avoid possible contamination with food prepared during the day.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 3, 2016

They were, badly, and she let him rub in the bloodmoss salve, closing her eyes and gritting her teeth.

From "The Amber Spyglass" by Philip Pullman

Related Words

• accentuate
• affirm
• assert
• highlight
• indicate
• maintain
• point out
• reiterate
• repeat
• underline
• underscore