Meaning & use

scrubbed

verb·Everyday

Cleaned a surface thoroughly by rubbing hard, often with a brush, water, and soap.

See it in a sentence

She scrubbed the burnt pan for ten minutes before the last stain finally came off.

The nurses scrubbed their hands and arms before entering the operating room.

A note on using this word

In aerospace and event contexts, 'scrubbed' also means canceled or postponed, as in a scrubbed launch.

Words with a similar meaning

scouredcleansed

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

Another way to use it

2. verb

Canceled or postponed a planned event, especially due to a problem.

Mission control scrubbed the launch after detecting a fuel leak on the pad.

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