rub
verb (used with object)
to subject the surface of (a thing or person) to pressure and friction, as in cleaning, smoothing, polishing, coating, massaging, or soothing.
rubbed
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past participleof rub.past participle
A verb form used in perfect and passive verb constructions and that can also function as a modifier.
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past tense formof rub.past tense
Used to describe completed actions or previous habitual actions.
rubverb (used with object)to subject the surface of (a thing or person) to pressure and friction, as in cleaning, smoothing, polishing, coating, massaging, or soothing.
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.
El-Sayed supporters rubbed shoulders with left-leaning influencers and union activists, a group that lent El-Sayed their formidable campaign infrastructure to reach Michigan's large organized labor community.
From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2026
"My father didn't attend and said he would never bend the knee to anyone. I guess that rubbed off on me," he said.
From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026
Any success they achieved rubbed off on my hometown, as it did during that magical 2002 run.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026
Outside the ward, staff used water to clean the floor, while others rubbed soot and grime off the walls.
From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026
The woman took his palm, spat on it—he flinched, but she hung on to it— rubbed it with her thumb, and began to croon.
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
