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Rule out

verb

Definitions

Verb
  1. 1
    To cross an item out by drawing a straight line through it, as with a ruler. transitive
  2. 2
    dismiss from consideration or a contest wordnet
  3. 3
    To reject an option from a list of possibilities. idiomatic, transitive

    "As Jane Doe had an alibi, the police were able to rule her out as a suspect."

  4. 4
    include or exclude by determining judicially or in agreement with rules wordnet
  5. 5
    To make something impossible. idiomatic, transitive

    "The constant rain ruled out any chance of a game of tennis."

Show 3 more definitions
  1. 6
    make impossible, especially beforehand wordnet
  2. 7
    To disallow. transitive

    "And Martin Skrtel's late headed goal was rightly ruled out for offside."

  3. 8
    To make unavailable. transitive

    "Flair and invention were very much at a premium, suffocated by the relentless pace and often fractious nature of proceedings. The absence of James Morrison from the centre of Scotland’s midfield, the West Brom man ruled out on the morning of the game by illness, had already diminished the creative capacity of the home side in that department."

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