rub
verb
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Definition of rub
(Entry 1 of 2)
rub
nounDefinition of rub (Entry 2 of 2)
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Synonyms for rub
Synonyms: Verb
abrade, chafe, corrade, erode, fray, frazzle, fret, gall, rasp, wear
Synonyms: Noun
aggravation, aggro [British], annoyance, bother, botheration, bugbear, exasperation, frustration, hair shirt, hassle, headache, inconvenience, irk, irritant, nuisance, peeve, pest, ruffle, thorn, trial, vexation
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Examples of rub in a Sentence
Verb
Could you rub my shoulders? He blinked and rubbed his eyes. The cat rubbed itself against my leg. The cat rubbed against my leg. Don't rub too hard or you'll tear the paper. He rubbed his hands with glee. There was a squeak when the boards rubbed together. The back of my shoe is rubbing against my heel and giving me a blister. There are marks where the chair has rubbed against the wall. There are marks where the chair has been rubbing the wall.Noun
She's an amazing cook, but she rarely has time to make meals. There's the rub. He used his favorite rub on the steaks. a dry rub for chicken
Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Put a few drops in a diffuser; rub a few drops on your hands, wrist, or temples; or place lavender sachets under your pillow. — Danielle Corcione, Teen Vogue, "How to Fall Asleep," 12 Mar. 2019 On Ash Wednesday, priests gather ashes from the previous Palm Sunday (more on that later) and rub them on the congregant's foreheads. — Jennifer Aldrich, Country Living, "When is Lent? Here's Everything You Need to Know About the Christian Holiday," 13 Feb. 2019 Johns applies oil to objects, rubs them on paper and then adds pigment to fix the oily impressions. — Lance Esplund, WSJ, "‘The Condition of Being Here: Drawings by Jasper Johns’ Review: Willfully Obtuse," 12 Nov. 2018 Horn attended a James Beard event while there and rubbed shoulders with industry elite, including Austin barbecue legend Aaron Franklin. — SFChronicle.com, "Matt Horn is the future of Bay Area barbecue," 2 July 2019 His surreal collages, where world leaders rub shoulders with minor British celebrities, have appeared in newspapers and magazines in the U.K. and have been exhibited in London galleries. — Skye Gurney, Time, "The Story Behind Cold War Steve's TIME Cover on Brexit Britain," 6 June 2019 From across the globe, people are converging on Normandy to follow in the footsteps of, perhaps even rub shoulders with, the remaining men and women who made a military success of D-Day. — Raf Casert, Twin Cities, "Chasing demons: 75 years on, D-Day haunts, drives its vets," 3 June 2019 If calling your friend’s name and shaking their shoulders doesn’t work, Stoner suggests rubbing their sternum (breastbone) with your knuckles or pinching their earlobe. — Natasha Lavender, SELF, "What to Do if Your Friend Is Passed Out Drunk," 26 Feb. 2019 In the space of a decade, Lerner’s custody had taken the club from rubbing elbows with the Premier League elite to being kicked out of the party altogether. — Jonathan Clegg, WSJ, "The American Billionaire Who Got Chewed Up by English Soccer," 30 Nov. 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Coat the wings lightly with olive oil and apply the dry rub to all sides of the meat. — ExpressNews.com, "Recipe: Orange-Honey Sriracha Wings," 5 Aug. 2019 They can be tossed in Crown Royal barbecue sauce, house buffalo sauce or chipotle lime dry rub. — Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, "1-pound loaded potatoes, smoked chicken wings headline new Ford Field food," 3 Aug. 2019 Profile: Laura likes to give doggie hugs and get belly rubs. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Pet of the week looking for hugs," 2 Aug. 2019 These fruits and veggies are the exception to the rinse ’n’ rub rule: 1. — Audrey Bruno, SELF, "How Gross Is It to Not Wash Produce Before You Eat It?," 23 July 2019 Consider rubs or marinades if eating chicken routinely to break up dinner monotony. — Ann Maloney, nola.com, "The thighs have it! Chicken pieces keep juicy flavor," 25 June 2019 Stories invoke sentiment to mock it: The little girl out in the snow calling on Daddy to fix her Xmas star because Mommy’s busy having a plasto-rub from the plastic man. — Tom Shippey, WSJ, "Science Fiction: Rediscovering a Golden-Age Treasure," 28 Dec. 2018 His Australian lamb is given an aggressive spice rub, then char-grilled. — Wine Australia, Bon Appétit, "How Aussie Chef Aaron Brooks Brings the Unexpected to His Miami Steakhouse," 16 July 2019 Add the chicken and cook for about 3 minutes, until a nice color forms — don’t burn the spice rub, light grill marks are ok. — Bibby Gignilliat, The Mercury News, "Quick Cook: Party-perfect spicy chicken with chimichurri," 5 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'rub.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.