ENGLISH
REFERENCE

rub down

idiom
Meaning

To rub from top to bottom, e.g. for cleaning, stripping paint or massage.


Examples
SIMPLE

Please rub down the table before we eat.

CONTEXTUAL

The carpenter needs to rub down the old wooden chair before applying a fresh coat of paint.

COMPLEX

After the long race, the trainer helped the athlete rub down his tired muscles to improve circulation and reduce soreness.

Anchors to
Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    rub elbows

    To associate closely; to consort, mingle, or socialize.

  2. 02

    rub in

    To make a point in an irritatingly emphatic manner.

  3. 03

    rub it in

    To add insult to injury; to emphasize one's strengths or another's weaknesses in a manner that degrades another.

  4. 04

    rub off

    To be transferred with little or no effort.

  5. 05

    rub off on

    To be acquired by or transferred to (someone) as a result of regular exposure.

  6. 06

    rub one's hands together

    To anticipate something eagerly.

  7. 07

    rub salt in someone's wounds

    To make a painful situation even worse (even with the best of intentions).

  8. 08

    rub salt in the wound

    To aggravate or exacerbate a physical or emotional injury.

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