rule out
/ˌrul ˈaʊt/
Reviewed on
Type
Phrasal verb
Meaning
To eliminate someone or something from consideration as a possibility.
Investigators quickly ruled out equipment failure as the cause of the crash.
Can we completely rule that option out before making a final decision?
To make an event, action, or outcome impossible.
A severe knee injury ruled out her participation in the upcoming marathon.
Heavy snowstorms might rule out any travel across the mountain passes tonight.
How it's used
Both orders mean the same thing.
- rule out the possibility
- rule the possibility out
it and them go in the middle: “rule it out.” Not “rule out it.”
The doctor wanted to rule out an infection before prescribing medication.
Collocations
- rule out the possibility
- rule out foul play
- rule out a suspect
- rule out a hypothesis