1
: a state of wild confusion or disorderly retreat
2
a
: a disastrous defeat : debacle
b
: a precipitate flight
routed; routing; routs
1
a
: to defeat decisively or disastrously
the discomfiture of seeing their party routed at the polls—
A. N. Holcombe
A. N. Holcombe
b
: to put to precipitate flight
c
: to disorganize completely : demoralize
2
: to drive out : dispel
1
: a crowd of people
specifically
: rabble sense 1c
2
a
b
archaic
: fuss
3
: a fashionable gathering
routed; routing; routs
1
: to poke around with the snout : root
pigs routing in the earth
2
: to search haphazardly
1
: to come up with : uncover
scouts … routing out new talent—Carrie Donovan
Carrie Donovan2
a
: to force out as if by digging
—usually used with out
b
: to cause to emerge especially from bed
3
a
: to gouge out or make a furrow in (something, such as wood or metal)
b
archaic
: to dig up with the snout
routed; routing; routs
Examples of rout in a Sentence
Noun (2)
the championship game was a humiliating rout for the team that had been favored to win
in the mad rout from the school shooter, it was every person for himself
Verb (2)
a great rout of rubberneckers had gathered around the scene of the accident
at first the protests were dismissed as nothing more than the idle doings of the restless rout
Verb (3)
as expected, the professional team had no trouble routing the amateurs
the nation's ground and air forces quickly routed the would-be invaders
Recent Examples on the Web
Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2025
But the Eagles put on a show to rout the defending champs 40-22.
—Paulina Dedaj, Fox News, 11 Feb. 2025
Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2025
This latest market rout put the three major averages on course for their worst week since September 2024.
—Alex Harring,brian Evans, CNBC, 6 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rout
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Verb
Vonn took the super-combined and downhill titles the previous two days.
2014 — The Clippers rout the rival Lakers 142-94.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2025
But the Eagles put on a show to rout the defending champs 40-22.
—Paulina Dedaj, Fox News, 11 Feb. 2025
Noun
George Mikan and the Lakers win 65-63. 1970 — Austin Carr scores an NCAA tournament record 61 points as Notre Dame routs Ohio University 112-82.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2025
This latest market rout put the three major averages on course for their worst week since September 2024.
—Alex Harring,brian Evans, CNBC, 6 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rout
Articles Related to rout
Cite this Entry
“Rout.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rout. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
rout
1 of 3 verb1
: to poke around with the snout : root entry 3
2
: to dig or cut a groove in (as wood or metal)
3
a
: to drive by force
routed out of their homes
b
: to cause to come out especially from bed
rout
2 of 3 noun1
: a state of wild confusion and disorderly retreat
2
: a disastrous defeat
rout
3 of 3 verb
routed; routing
1
: to put to flight
2
: to defeat completely
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