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.
Uzzaman wants to instill the fundamentals, but he said the students’ focus may have rubbed off on him.
Although he is nine years my elder, his infectious, childlike enthusiasm about making dreams come true was rubbing off on me.
From Los Angeles Times
The tone of the show has rubbed off on the performers, who, as comedians, feel they can experiment with their acts, according to Laurie Kilmartin, who was one of the Mermaid Comedy Hour’s first headliners.
From Los Angeles Times
The image of him standing with his arms aloft on the touchline is a throwback to a different time, but there were glimmers in a convincing win that O'Neill's magic touch is already rubbing off.
From BBC
“His play style rubs off on everybody on our team, not just the offense,” quarterback Matthew Stafford said.
From Los Angeles Times
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.