rub up
Britishverb
-
to refresh one's memory (of)
-
(tr) to smooth or polish
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.
But dreams of seamless cross-country journeys rub up against a fragmented network broken into national systems that critics say create hurdles and pushes up costs.
From Barron's ● May 13, 2026
In that extreme environment, the largest and smallest things in the universe rub up against one another.
From Scientific American ● Jun. 22, 2023
As the star swelled, a companion object began to rub up against its outer layers, heating them up and causing them to brighten in the infrared.
From Science Magazine ● May 3, 2023
Kristensen said the more numerous Chinese submarine deployments have meant the PLA and U.S. militaries increasingly "rub up" against each other - increasing the odds of accidental conflict.
From Reuters ● Apr. 4, 2023
Most earthquakes occur when sections of the earth’s crust far below the surface rub up against one another, get stuck, and then jerk free all at once.
From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone
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.
