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.
The department ultimately could not rule out the solar panels on the roof, the equipment connected to them or the work being done at the time as potential causes for the fire.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026
I wouldn't rule out Archie Gray to force his way into contention.
From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026
That difference helped rule out the possibility that geological processes at the fossil site had altered the chemical signatures in both animals in the same way.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026
He initially refused to rule out military force.
From Salon ● Sep. 16, 2026
I can rule out the rings, at least.
From "X: A Novel" by Ilyasah Shabazz
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.
