to rout
16
7.4
- verb
- /raʊt/
- 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
99
7.2
Beat someone or something completely in a conflict
7
3.7
Defeat an opponent completely and easily
2
4.5
Beat someone completely in a game or contest
1
8.8
To beat someone badly in a game or fight
1
9.7
To beat someone by a very large amount in a game or contest
1
8.3
To beat an opponent by a very large amount
Antonyms
Phrasal Verbs
How Decisive
- NSFW
58
7.5
74
4.0
16
7.4
276
4.7
704
2.1
∞
1.4
Surface Forms
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.