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to rout

to rout

15 7.4
Defeat an enemy completely and force them to run away
  • verb
  • /raʊt/
translation icon : poner en fuga
  • The brigades to the north had routed the Egyptians and swept all the way to Suez.
  • rout the army
  • rout the troops
  • rout the forces

Examples

  • General Lee has utterly routed the forces under Meade and Grant.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • With the assistance of several divisions of British and French troops, Lee's armies at Gettysburg routed the Union forces.

  • We routed the Chinese out.

  • You've got army after army being routed in the West, what we call the Eastern Front.

  • In response, the United States attacked Afghanistan and routed the Taliban.

    Academic text (2007)
  • Scottish rebels have routed one of my garrisons and murdered the noble lord.

  • Today, Supreme Allied HQ reported American combat troops and aircraft have routed the attacking German army at the Ardennes front.

  • Georgia citizens watched in fear as troops struggled to rout bellicose Seminoles and Creeks and forcibly move them to Indian Territory.

    Academic text (2011)
  • In January 2000, the Lebanese army routed the group, killed its leader Bassam al-Kanj, and apprehended dozens of combatants.

    Academic text (2011)
  • The home team was completely routed by their rivals, leading to an embarrassing defeat.

Synonyms

to vanquish
vsto rout
  • Formal
109 7.2

Beat someone or something completely in a conflict

forces the defeated to run away in disorder
to demolish
vsto rout
8 3.7

Defeat an opponent completely and easily

results in the defeated fleeing in disorder rather than mere humiliation
to thrash
vsto rout
6 4.5

Beat someone completely in a game or contest

forces opponents to run away in disorder
to drub
vsto rout
1 8.8

To beat someone badly in a game or fight

forces the losers to flee in confusion and disorder
to spreadeagle
vsto rout
  • Slang
9.7

To beat someone by a very large amount in a game or contest

causes the beaten side to flee in chaotic disorder
to spread-eagle
vsto rout
  • Informal
8.3

To beat an opponent by a very large amount

produces a chaotic retreat rather than only a score gap

Antonyms

1.0

Fail to win a game or contest

Phrasal Verbs

1 7.1

To force someone or something out of a place by searching

8.4

Find something after searching carefully

5.5

To find something after a careful search

How Decisive

to annihilate
  • NSFW
63 7.5
to overwhelm
42 4.0
to rout
15 7.4
to crush
386 4.7
to defeat
932 2.1
to beat
1.4

Surface Forms

rout infinitive
routed past
routed past participle
routing present participle
routs third person singular

Etymology

Rout meaning to defeat completely comes from an old idea of forcing an enemy into a 'route' or 'flight', making them run away in disorder, so to rout an opponent is to make them flee and lose control.