rub in

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)

Idioms and Phrases

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.

Example Sentences

“The ‘rub in’ method is basically with your hands so that you can actually feel the butter going into the flour.

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Sports costs became a major rub in the recent dispute.

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The dance begins when Tribus pretends to spit on the floor and rub in the spit with his foot.

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And here's the rub: in debates like this, the convention is the motion itself, the SNP's position, will be voted on, as will the government's position.

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Did she really need to rub in her first-place reign?

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Related Words

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