as in polished
having a shiny surface or finish
the rubbed brass of the wall sconce showed my reflection
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in eroded
to damage or diminish by continued friction
the brake pads were rubbed away as a result of years of use
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in scraped
to make smooth by friction
the furniture restorer rubbed the board perfectly smooth with sandpaper
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in smoothed
to make smooth or glossy usually by repeatedly applying surface pressure
the butler rubbed the silver tea set until it gleamed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rubbed
Josh Yohe, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
Kuroda mentioned other small incidents that rubbed him the wrong way as well.
—Robert McGreevy, FOXNews.com, 21 Apr. 2026
Hathaway rubbed her son's shoulder while smiling and laughing off the encounter.
—Emily St. Martin, PEOPLE, 20 Apr. 2026
One juror took a deep breath, rubbed her chest and took a swig of water after seeing the picture.
—John Annese, New York Daily News, 20 Apr. 2026
What to look for in an arnica gel Some arnica gels have a slight odor that dissipates when exposed to the air and rubbed into your skin.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2026
Eisenberg walked to Shawn and rubbed his balding head affectionately.
—Sarah Larson, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
Or the mood might call for ripping into smoky lamb shoulder, rubbed with baharat (Lebanese seven spice) and rendered to a consistency somewhere wonderfully between melty and ropy.
—Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
UConn’s success, coupled with Hurley’s personality, has rubbed more than a few folks the wrong way.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 5 Apr. 2026
Verb
Justin Brazeau skated over to the Penguins captain and rubbed the back of his noggin for good measure.
—Josh Yohe, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
Kuroda mentioned other small incidents that rubbed him the wrong way as well.
—Robert McGreevy, FOXNews.com, 21 Apr. 2026
Hathaway rubbed her son's shoulder while smiling and laughing off the encounter.
—Emily St. Martin, PEOPLE, 20 Apr. 2026
One juror took a deep breath, rubbed her chest and took a swig of water after seeing the picture.
—John Annese, New York Daily News, 20 Apr. 2026
What to look for in an arnica gel Some arnica gels have a slight odor that dissipates when exposed to the air and rubbed into your skin.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2026
Eisenberg walked to Shawn and rubbed his balding head affectionately.
—Sarah Larson, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
Or the mood might call for ripping into smoky lamb shoulder, rubbed with baharat (Lebanese seven spice) and rendered to a consistency somewhere wonderfully between melty and ropy.
—Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
UConn’s success, coupled with Hurley’s personality, has rubbed more than a few folks the wrong way.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 5 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rubbed
Adjective
-
Plenty of Sellers’ struggles could be pinned on offensive play calling and a lack of polished talent around him.—
Nick Baumgardner,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Instead, the designer recommends trying a combination such as polished nickel paired with warm brass or gold.—
Sarah Lyon,
The Spruce,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In the process, however, one of the big distinguishing aspects of TV – the large audiences who once assembled to watch dramas, sitcoms and reality shows – has eroded.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
30 Apr. 2026
-
At some point, however, those buffers will start to get eroded — especially if higher fuel costs start showing up in household staple goods.—
Rob Wile,
NBC news,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
After Faber took a high-sticking penalty, Heiskanen zipped a shot from the slot that eluded Wallstedt's shoulder and scraped the top of the net.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Artificial intelligence has scraped the book’s copy and polished its own words to seem like a real, emotional appeal.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Once it’s smoothed, lay a heavy object on the area for some time to anchor the vinyl back in place.—
Ashley Chalmers,
The Spruce,
23 Apr. 2026
-
The result is smoothed cuticles and split ends, with a soft to the touch feel.—
Conçetta Ciarlo,
Vogue,
21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
As the doc’s creation Rocky (John Rivera), usually depicted as a glistening depiction of male beauty, appears here as a non-Adonis — a beefy, WWF-looking contender, in singlet and without a clue.—
Frank Rizzo,
Variety,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Its four decks are decorated in sumptuous textiles, glistening marble, and deep colors accented with pops of gold—not to mention many replicas of Klimt’s work.—
Susan B. Barnes,
Travel + Leisure,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Melania wore a double-breasted crepe suit from American designer Adam Lippes, who also designed her navy-and-ivory ensemble for the president's second inauguration ceremony last year.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
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Princess Kate, 44, wore a navy coat dress by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen (her bridal gown designer) with white lapels and a matching navy Jane Taylor hat, completing the look with a poignant poppy pin, navy pumps by Gianvito Rossi and a mini DeMellier handbag.—
Janine Henni,
PEOPLE,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The rigid jean is hand-sanded to emphasize its fullness.—
Angela Velasquez,
Footwear News,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Attention spans are being sanded down, vocabulary is becoming consumer-friendly.—
Hannah Gold,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
While this necklace is gold vermeil (coated), it’s designed to last a long time—just make sure not to shower with it on.—
Gina Vaynshteyn,
StyleCaster,
29 Apr. 2026
-
The exterior of the ring is coated in titanium, which held up well during two weeks of testing.—
Andrew Gebhart,
PC Magazine,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rubbed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rubbed. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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