root out

verb

rooted out; rooting out; roots out
Synonyms of root outnext
1
: to find and remove (something or someone)
The mayor was determined to root out corruption in city government.
2
: to find (something or someone) after searching for a long time
He finally rooted out the cause of the problem.

Examples of root out in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The House will vote on several bills aimed at rooting out fraud in government programs. — Adam Beam, AJC.com, 10 June 2026 Barham responded with soul-searching and a decision to root out the toxicity, which had driven so many players away from the group. — Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 25 June 2026 Any sign of Christian viewpoint discrimination will be rooted out. — Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 27 June 2026 Even so, there is reason to believe the administration’s move would have ramifications well beyond rooting out genuine fraud. — Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 27 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for root out

Rhymes for root out

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Browse Nearby Words

root of unity
root out
root position
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Cite this Entry

“Root out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/root%20out. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on root out

Nglish: Translation of root out for Spanish Speakers

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