rule out
Britishverb
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to dismiss from consideration
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to make impossible; preclude or prevent
the rain ruled out outdoor games
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Eliminate from consideration, exclude, as in The option of starting over again has been ruled out . [Second half of 1800s]
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Prevent, make impossible, as in The snowstorm ruled out our weekly rehearsal . [First half of 1900s]
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 he didn’t completely rule out a 50-gram version someday.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 19, 2026
Such dismal inflation figures would appear to rule out any further Fed rate cuts this year.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 17, 2026
But she didn’t rule out implementing rate hikes to bring monetary policy in line—nor additional cuts.
From Barron's • Apr. 15, 2026
A lower level would mean more people being referred for colonoscopies to help diagnose or rule out bowel cancer.
From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026
They could be anywhere within a two-mile radius, although I can rule out the empty marsh as an option.
From "Divergent" by Veronica Roth
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.
