rub off
verb
rubbed off;
rubbing off;
rubs off
Definition of rub off
: to become transferred
bad habits rubbed off on them carbon rubs off on your hands
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Other Words from rub off
rub-off
\ ˈrəb-ˌȯf 
\
noun
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noun
Examples of rub off in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
That started at the top with coach Mike Ditka, the gruff former NFL tight end whose penchant for cigars rubbed off on his team. — SI.com, "A History of Football in 100 Objects," 28 Aug. 2019 With the felt rubbed off and the hormones flowing, the bucks will be ready to use their antlers in battles with other bucks in their competition for the attention of does. — Calvin Finch, ExpressNews.com, "How to deal with the garden damage from the dang deer," 9 Aug. 2019 The experience clearly rubbed off on Mayer, who skipped an opening act and offered two sets with an intermission. — Ross Raihala, Twin Cities, "John Mayer comfortably slides into musical middle age at chill Xcel Energy Center concert," 5 Aug. 2019 The Clippers never downplayed the Chicago native’s importance last season, when Beverley’s edge rubbed off on the rest of the locker room. — Andrew Greif, latimes.com, "Kawhi Leonard is focal point of Clippers’ free agent signings," 22 June 2019 Turns out that anxiety could be rubbing off on your dog. — Fox News, "Dogs mirror stress levels of their owners, study suggests," 7 June 2019 His success rubbed off on the show itself, which drew its best household ratings in 14 years, according to Nielsen. — Julia Jacobs, New York Times, "James Holzhauer’s ‘Jeopardy!’ Streak Ends Just Shy of a Record," 3 June 2019 The exterior door skin is deep, extending beyond the sill to prevent dirt and road salt from rubbing off on legs. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "2019 Chevrolet Blazer is the family wagon redefined," 20 July 2019 This example may have rubbed off on people’s thinking about the ghost orchid, says Larry Zettler, an orchid expert at Illinois College. — Douglas Main, National Geographic, "Discovery reveals secrets about how ghost orchids reproduce," 11 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'rub off.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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