rub off
Britishverb
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to remove or be removed by rubbing
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(intr; often foll by on or onto) to have an effect through close association or contact, esp so as to make similar
her crude manners have rubbed off on you
noun
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.
Legacy overseas brands are now seeking out collaboration, hoping the domestic market's blistering pace and technological innovation will rub off and boost their competitiveness in China and increasingly, abroad.
From Barron's • Apr. 27, 2026
We see that throughout the season, and they really, like, rub off on each other and they have something to give to the other person.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026
Presumably those who do decide to stay in room 411 are hoping that Christie’s literary genius might somehow rub off.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026
In some cases, the fish attempted to rub off the mark within the first hour of seeing a mirror.
From Science Daily • Feb. 23, 2026
Maybe if I stayed here long enough, the magic would rub off on me and make everything better.
From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff
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.
