rule out
Present Participle
ruling out
Past Tense
ruled out
Past Participle
ruled out
1
to prevent something from occurring or someone from doing something
- Proper training and precautions help rule out injuries on the sports field.
- The thorough background checks helped rule out security risks in the workplace.
- The safety measures put in place helped rule out accidents on the construction site.
- By following safety protocols, we can rule out hazards in the laboratory.
- Rigorous testing processes help rule out software bugs in our applications.
2
to exclude a player or team from participating in the competition
- The coach had to rule out one of their star players due to a severe injury.
- The referee had to rule the entire team out for violating the rules.
- The official decision was to rule the athlete out because of doping allegations.
- The judges had no choice but to rule the competitor out for unsportsmanlike conduct.
- In some cases, extreme weather conditions can rule out a sporting event for safety reasons.
Synonyms:
3
to eliminate an option or idea from consideration due to it appearing impossible to realize
- They had to rule the risky investment out because it was too uncertain for their financial plan.
- After careful examination, they ruled out the idea of a merger as it didn't align with their long-term goals.
- The doctor had to rule out the possibility of a severe illness before suggesting further tests.
- They decided to rule certain chemicals out due to safety concerns.
- The detective couldn't rule any suspects out until further investigation.
Synonyms: