The Open Dictionary

root something/someone out

Related to word: root

Phrasal Verb

Definition (remove)

  1. to identify and eliminate a person or thing that is causing an issue

    • The company decided to root out and eliminate all bad business practices to improve efficiency.

    • The school's policy is to root out any misconduct and take immediate action.

    • We need to root out and eliminate all the issues in this project to ensure its successful completion.

Definition (search)

  1. to diligently search for and locate something or someone that is hard to discover

    • The police spent several months trying to root out the missing suspect.

    • The scientists are diligently working to root out the active ingredients of the new drug for better disease treatment.

    • In this investigation, we hope to root out all relevant evidence.