How to Use rub in a Sentence

rub

1 of 2 verb
Definition of rubnext
Synonyms for rubnext
  • The cat rubbed against my leg.
  • There are marks where the chair has rubbed against the wall.
  • He blinked and rubbed his eyes.
  • There are marks where the chair has been rubbing the wall.
  • He rubbed his hands with glee.
  • The cat rubbed itself against my leg.
  • Don't rub too hard or you'll tear the paper.
  • There was a squeak when the boards rubbed together.
  • The back of my shoe is rubbing against my heel and giving me a blister.
  • Could you rub my shoulders?
  • Ezra rubbed his eye with the back of his hand, flopped his head to the side, and cooed.
    — Eric Boodman, STAT, 18 Apr. 2023
  • The Protegé is one of the rare cars that didn't rub us wrong in any way.
    — Patrick Bedard, Car and Driver, 1 June 2023
  • For an extra tangy punch, rub a lime wedge around the rim of the glass. 12.
    — Women's Health, 14 June 2023
  • The urgency of the request rubbed Ashley the wrong way.
    — Kelly Wynne, Peoplemag, 30 Oct. 2023
  • To tame flyaways, rub three to six drops into the palms and work the oil through dry strands.
    — Lauren Valenti, Vogue, 4 Oct. 2023
  • Be thorough in rubbing it in to steer clear of white residue.
    — Joseph Cheatham, Men's Health, 11 June 2023
  • Blast rub spices in a spice grinder enough to break down but also leave a bit of texture in the rub.
    — Jack Hennessy, Field & Stream, 13 Mar. 2024
  • Jesse and Sandy stood over their cribs and rubbed their daughters’ bellies and toes.
    — Kyle Melnick, Washington Post, 12 July 2023
  • Spray or rub coconut oil on the lamb and dip each lollipop into the spice mix.
    — Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Aug. 2023
  • Hays rubbed her knuckles against the girl’s sternum, then checked her pulse.
    — Maggie Prosser, Dallas News, 14 Sep. 2023
  • Buy a pre-seasoned beef brisket and rub it with brown sugar.
    — Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 12 Feb. 2024
  • Season the corn: To prepare this quick and easy side dish, rub ears of corn with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
    — Julia Levy, Southern Living, 6 Sep. 2023
  • Later in the quarter during a timeout, Durant walked to the bench and rubbed at that area.
    — Duane Rankin, The Arizona Republic, 25 Apr. 2023
  • The father explained that scratches on the girl had been caused by him trying to rub her tears away.
    — Jake Allen, The Indianapolis Star, 10 Aug. 2023
  • When Mendelssohn wasn’t being scorched, he too often was rubbed raw.
    — Scott Cantrell, Dallas News, 3 May 2023
  • Customers are told to rub this wax on their surfboard to deter sharks.
    — Khristopher J. Brooks, CBS News, 7 July 2023
  • After Gomez releases the arm, the boy rubs his forearm.
    — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 15 Feb. 2024
  • For tough stains on white leather shoes: Dip a wet brush in baking soda and rub gently.
    — Caroline Picard, Good Housekeeping, 30 June 2023
  • Working on rimmed baking sheet, rub spice mix all over ribs.
    — Kate Merker, Good Housekeeping, 17 Apr. 2023
  • Holding their wings tightly against their sides, the males make a swishing sound as the stiff breast feathers rub against the wings and the sac heaves up and down.
    — Phil Bourjaily, Field & Stream, 11 Jan. 2024
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rub

2 of 2 noun
  • He used his favorite rub on the steaks.
  • She's an amazing cook, but she rarely has time to make meals. There's the rub.
  • The rub is against systems that are used to the way things are.
    — Keely Larson, Ars Technica, 20 Aug. 2022
  • The meat will begin to sweat as the salt in the rub draws out moisture.
    — Jennifer McClellan, USA TODAY, 17 May 2022
  • The bold, brawny rub of my dreams begins with a strong vein of spice.
    — Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appétit, 25 Aug. 2022
  • The rub is that one of the six refuses to eat anyone else’s food!
    — Jacobina Martin, Washington Post, 12 Jan. 2023
  • Upgrade your seafood game with this sweet and salty rub.
    — Becca Miller, Good Housekeeping, 30 June 2022
  • Yet, and here’s the rub, actors also see the rise of deepfakes as a chance to cash in.
    — WIRED, 18 Oct. 2022
  • There is a major rub here—especially in the case of the U.S.
    — Harry G. Broadman, Forbes, 1 Aug. 2022
  • Both of them like you to roll your feet on the ground like rub, and that friction was not good for the robots.
    — IEEE Spectrum, 1 Oct. 2023
  • Apply a liberal amount of rub to both sides of the ribs.
    — Kathy Mooreand, Kansas City Star, 30 Jan. 2024
  • The rub isn’t that no one victor came out on top; this isn’t Highlander.
    — Angela Watercutter, WIRED, 26 Dec. 2022
  • Most of the recipes, including the remarkable dry rub, have stayed the same.
    — Nick Kindelsperger, Chicago Tribune, 10 Apr. 2023
  • If your child is older than two, use a chest rub, like Vicks BabyRub.
    — Jeannette Moninger, Parents, 23 June 2023
  • Use it as a dry rub or mix it with yogurt as a marinade.
    — Sonal Dutt, Peoplemag, 22 Sep. 2022
  • The rub is that Grandma objects to any changes to these gifts and puts pressure on us.
    — Abigail Van Buren, oregonlive, 14 May 2022
  • Customize them with any one of our rubs, dips, and sauces.
    — Samantha Lande, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Jan. 2024
  • The crispy nuggets are promptly tossed in a three-chili rub and the same glaze used for Fed Pig’s superb spare ribs.
    — Tim Carman, Washington Post, 17 July 2023
  • Give the gift of pain-free joints and muscles with this effective rub.
    — Mark Stock, Men's Health, 14 Dec. 2022
  • Add a pinch to soups, pasta sauces, marinades, or even dry rubs.
    — Zola Gregory, Bon Appétit, 20 Jan. 2024
  • The black pepper in this rub picks up on the black-pepper notes in Zinfandel.
    — Sunset Magazine, 1 July 2022
  • One rub will be the Patriots defense, which has ranked among the best in the league in fewest points allowed.
    — Ian Firstenberg, Chicago Tribune, 23 Nov. 2022
  • Use it to flavor caramel apple cider, caramel blondies or even as a rub on salmon.
    — Michelle Deal-Zimmerman, Baltimore Sun, 14 Sep. 2022
  • Season the entire shoulder with the rub and set aside to rest for 30 minutes.
    — Jennifer McClellan, USA TODAY, 17 May 2022
  • The rub is gentler, but there’s no less reason to feel tickled.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 22 July 2022
  • There’s the rub for Buffy and a lot of collaborative art.
    — Mikey O'Connell, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Jan. 2023
  • Now add a healthy amount of a dry rub seasoning of your choice onto both sides of the chicken.
    — Joe Difazio, USA TODAY, 30 June 2022
  • The local chef also has a line of specialty sauces and rubs.
    — Tanasia Kenney The Charlotte Observer (tns), al, 12 June 2023
  • Sprinkle the dry rub all over the pork chops, and rub it into each piece of meat until well coated.
    — Adam Dolge, Southern Living, 18 Sep. 2023
  • Sea bass with a paprika, cayenne, and garlic rub, cooked in the oven for 45 minutes.
    — Jacqueline Tempera, Women's Health, 31 May 2023

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rub.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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