How to Use rule out in a Sentence

rule out

verb
  • The union has not ruled out a longer strike in the future.
    — Debbie Truong, Los Angeles Times, 4 Dec. 2023
  • Nkunku needed surgery and was ruled out for four months.
    — Liam Twomey, The Athletic, 17 Jan. 2025
  • But here’s the thing: Hubble didn’t rule out that Barnard’s Star could have planets.
    — John Wenz, Popular Mechanics, 25 Aug. 2022
  • Set a few mouse traps in your garage to rule out any unwanted pests.
    — Beth Kaufman, Good Housekeeping, 26 Jan. 2021
  • Trump declined to rule out using the military to seize the canal.
    — Laura King, Los Angeles Times, 19 Jan. 2025
  • Kidd didn’t rule out the chance of Doncic re-joining the team during this five-game road trip.
    — Dallas News, 4 Feb. 2023
  • Mitchell was ruled out with a stomach illness before the game.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 1 Apr. 2025
  • Have researchers ruled out any of the five possible worlds?
    — Ben Brubaker, Quanta Magazine, 27 Mar. 2024
  • All three players have been ruled out for Sunday’s game.
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 10 Feb. 2024
  • The youth of these players also allowed the research team to rule out aging as the cause of the damage.
    — Celia Ford, WIRED, 12 Sep. 2023
  • If blood tests were used to rule out Alzheimer’s, the average wait times would drop to 13 months, researchers say.
    — Fran Kritz, Verywell Health, 15 Aug. 2024
  • While most of the rain is light, a few heavier downpours and even a rumble of thunder can’t be ruled out.
    — Matt Rogers, Washington Post, 27 Feb. 2024
  • In addition, a risk of fire cannot be ruled out, the company said.
    — Mike Snider, USA TODAY, 26 Feb. 2024
  • And the agency also says that a few tornadoes cannot be ruled out.
    — USA TODAY, 27 Apr. 2024
  • Ohtani has found new ways to impress since he was ruled out of pitching until 2025.
    — Jamie Barton, CNN, 10 Sep. 2024
  • He has not formally been ruled out of Wednesday night’s game.
    — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 15 Jan. 2024
  • Patchy drizzle and fog before dawn can’t be ruled out either.
    — A. Camden Walker, Washington Post, 23 Dec. 2023
  • The president also ruled out a pardon in the event of a conviction.
    — Linda Feldmann, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 June 2024
  • Earlier, Ludmila had put the ball in the back of the net, but the effort was quickly ruled out for offside.
    — George Ramsay, CNN, 10 Aug. 2024
  • Thomas was originally ruled out for at least three weeks on Nov. 27.
    — C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 17 Dec. 2024
  • But that doesn’t mean that Fraser ruled out options that happened to overlap with Rogue One.
    — Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 May 2024
  • The Yankees hope to have a better understanding of the severity in the next 24 hours, but Boone didn’t rule out surgery.
    — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 13 Aug. 2024
  • Moss walked off the field on his own power after being looked at by trainers but was ruled out in the third quarter.
    — Parker Gabriel, The Denver Post, 24 Nov. 2024
  • Mesa police said homicide or suicide have not been ruled out.
    — Hayleigh Evans, The Arizona Republic, 9 Mar. 2024
  • Paul has not fully ruled out a shift, and his office did not respond to a request for comment.
    — Peter Sullivan, Axios, 8 Oct. 2024
  • Ganassi wouldn’t rule out a reunion with Johnson, though.
    — Nathan Brown, The Indianapolis Star, 3 Mar. 2023
  • Taylor Swift is attending the show and hasn’t been announced as a performer — but Kapoor won’t rule out a last-minute change on that front.
    — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 2 Feb. 2024
  • Powell appeared to rule out that the cut would be as large as 50 basis points, however.
    — Jenni Reid, CNBC, 1 Aug. 2024
  • Watson was ruled out of every game during the 2021 season following a trade request, which ultimately led to a standoff between the quarterback and the team.
    — Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 10 Apr. 2025
  • The 32-year-old had entered the final months of his previous deal and could have departed Liverpool on a free transfer at the end of the season but that possibility has been ruled out with the Egyptian signing a new two-year contract.
    — The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rule out.' 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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