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to scrub

to scrub

12 5.6
To cancel a planned event, often at short notice
  • verb
  • /skrʌb/
translation icon : cancelar
  • Then I guess Teddy didn't tell you he intends to scrub both his project and mine.
  • scrub the mission
  • scrub the launch

And you know, to the point at which the ACLU is actually scrubbing Ruth Bader Ginsburg speeches, right?

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Examples

  • I think we ought to scrub this, don't you?

    Fiction book (1994)
  • Genesis, I hate to say this... ...but it looks like we're gonna have to scrub the launch.

  • Did you just scrub my name off?

  • We can either scrub Mattingly and go with Swigert, or we can bump all three of you to a later mission.

  • Due to unexpected weather conditions, we have to scrub the outdoor event planned for tomorrow.

  • The team decided to scrub the project deadline because they needed more time to make improvements.

  • They had to scrub the meeting at the last minute when the main speaker fell ill.

Synonyms

to cancel
vsto scrub
814 1.0

To decide that a planned event will not happen

can either stop or delay plans often at short notice
to postpone
vsto scrub
234 3.4

To delay something until a later time because of a problem

can also mean stopping plans entirely rather than moving them later
to stall
vsto scrub
166 4.3

To delay doing something on purpose to get more time

typically ends or moves plans quickly rather than delaying to gain time
to abort
vsto scrub
93 5.6

To stop a plan or activity before it finishes, often because of problems

is used for changing scheduled items not only for stopping mid process
to call off
vsto scrub
91 2.8

To cancel a planned event or activity

may allow rescheduling later rather than ending plans entirely
to scratch
vsto scrub
80 3.4

To remove or cancel something, for example a meeting

usually applies to scheduled events ending or moving them at short notice
to defer
vsto scrub
  • Formal
15 5.5

To delay something until a later time

can instead end or postpone scheduled items at short notice

Antonyms

789 3.0

To arrange something to happen at a certain time

Phrasal Verbs

to scrub up
  • Specialized
2 4.9

To wash your hands and forearms very carefully before surgery or other medical procedures

1 2.5

To remove dirt or stains by rubbing hard with a brush

To clean the kitchen by rubbing surfaces to remove dirt or stains

Compounds

2 2.3

A brush with short, stiff bristles for cleaning hard surfaces

scrub nurse
  • Specialized
2 3.9

A hospital worker who helps the surgeon during surgery by keeping things sterile and handing instruments

1 7.0

A small oak tree that grows like a bush in dry soil and forms dense bushes

1 8.2

A small, bushy pine tree with twisted branches and short needles in pairs that grows in the eastern United States

scrub fowl
  • Australian
9.9

A large ground bird that builds a warm mound of rotting plants to hatch its eggs

scrub beefwood
  • Australian
9.9

A tree or tall shrub that has shiny leaves, white fragrant flowers, and hard red wood in Australia

scrub bird
  • Australian
9.5

A small Australian bird like a wren that runs fast in low dense bushes

A small tough palm that grows in clumps with spiny leaves in the southern United States

scrub plane
  • Specialized
8.4

A narrow heavy tool that quickly removes lots of rough wood

9.1

A wild turkey that lives in the bush and has tougher meat

scrub typhus
  • Specialized
8.4

A disease people get when tiny animals called mites bite them that gives fever and a rash

scrub-bird
  • Australian
9.9

A small Australian bird like a wren that runs quickly in thick low bushes

seaside scrub oak
  • Specialized
9.1

A small evergreen shrub or tree that grows in sandy coastal areas and forms dense thickets

How Final

to cancel
814 1.0
to suspend
141 3.9
to scrub
12 5.6
to postpone
234 3.4
to reschedule
109 3.0

Surface Forms

scrub infinitive
scrubbed past
scrubbed past participle
scrubbing present participle
scrubs third person singular

Etymology

Scrub meaning 'to cancel' comes from the image of 'rubbing out' something so it disappears. That's why to 'scrub' a plan or a launch is like rubbing it off the schedule and stopping it.