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Meaning & use

rule out

phrase·Academic

Last updated

UK/ˌruːl ˈaʊt/
US/ˌruːl ˈaʊt/

Meanings

  1. phrasephrasal verb

    To decide that something is not possible, not true or not suitable, so it is no longer considered.

    Grammar: Takes an object, which can come between the words: rule out a theory, rule it out.

    Patterns

    • rule something out
    • rule out something
    • rule someone out as something

    Police have ruled out foul play in the fire.

    The doctor ordered a scan to rule out a fracture.

    I would not rule out a late goal from the home side.

  2. phrasephrasal verb

    To prevent something from happening or being possible.

    Grammar: The subject is usually a thing, not a person: the weather rules out a picnic.

    Patterns

    • something rules out something

    The high price rules out a new car this year.

    Her injury rules her out of the tournament.

    A tight budget rules out expensive repairs.

Word forms

third person singularrules out
past tenseruled out
past participleruled out
-ing formruling out

Common combinations

rule out the possibility
We cannot rule out the possibility of delays.
rule out a diagnosis
Tests helped rule out a serious illness.
rule out foul play
Officers have ruled out foul play.
cannot rule out
We cannot rule out a change of plan.
completely rule out
The minister would not completely rule out higher taxes.

Synonyms and how they differ

exclude
Exclude is more formal and can mean keeping a person from a group, while rule out is about dismissing a possibility.
eliminate
Eliminate suggests removing candidates step by step, while rule out suggests concluding something is not possible.
dismiss
Dismiss suggests rejecting an idea quickly, while rule out suggests having checked the evidence.
preclude
Preclude is formal and means to make something impossible in advance, while rule out can also be a decision.

Opposites

allow forconsider

Word family

rule noun
an official instruction about what is allowed
rule verb
to control a country or to give an official decision
ruling noun
an official decision, especially by a court
ruler noun
a person who governs, or a tool for measuring

Commonly confused: rule out or rule in?

rule out vs rule in

Rule in means to accept something as a possibility; it is the less common opposite of rule out.

Practice

The coach would not ____ the possibility that the injured striker might still play.

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