robbed; robbing
1
a(1)
: to take something away from by force : steal from
(2)
: to take personal property from by violence or threat
b(1)
: to remove valuables without right from (a place)
(2)
: to take the contents of (a receptacle)
c
: to take away as loot : steal
rob jewelry
2
a
: to deprive of something due, expected, or desired
b
: to withhold unjustly or injuriously
: to commit robbery
robber
noun
Can rob mean 'to steal'?: Usage Guide
Transitive sense 1c, in which the direct object is the thing stolen, is sometimes considered to be wrong, or perhaps archaic. The sense has been in use since the 13th century and is found in earlier literature.
contrive to rob the honey and subvert the hive
—
John Dryden
John Dryden
It is still in use though not as common as other senses.
then robbed $100 after the clerk fled
—Springfield (Massachusetts) Morning Union
Springfield (Massachusetts) Morning Union
Examples of rob in a Sentence
Someone tried to rob me.
The cashier was robbed at gunpoint.
Recent Examples on the Web
He was robbed of an extra-base hit by Victor Scott II in center field and Nolan Arenado took away another hit.
—Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 4 June 2025
Lochte initially claimed he and his teammates were robbed at gunpoint, but it was determined those with the guns were actually security guards at a gas station where the swimmers had urinated outside a bathroom.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 4 June 2025
And Heriberto Hernández skying at the fence in left field in the fourth to rob a two-run homer.
—Steve Gorten, Miami Herald, 1 June 2025
These are some of the purest qualities of childhood that the world tries to rob Black girls of from an early age.
—Taryn Finley, Refinery29, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for rob
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 4 June 2025
Lochte initially claimed he and his teammates were robbed at gunpoint, but it was determined those with the guns were actually security guards at a gas station where the swimmers had urinated outside a bathroom.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 4 June 2025
And Heriberto Hernández skying at the fence in left field in the fourth to rob a two-run homer.
—Steve Gorten, Miami Herald, 1 June 2025
These are some of the purest qualities of childhood that the world tries to rob Black girls of from an early age.
—Taryn Finley, Refinery29, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for rob
Cite this Entry
“Rob.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rob. Accessed 9 Jun. 2025.
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