English Reference

Word

routed

Phoneticsrout·ed

/ˈɹaʊtɪd/

Definition

v. to defeat an opponent completely and force them to run away in a disorganized way. It is often used to describe a very one-sided battle or sports game.

v. to defeat an enemy or competitor decisively, resulting in a disorderly retreat or total collapse of resistance. Transitive; requires a direct object representing the defeated party.

Examples

“The home team routed their rivals in a five-zero victory.”

“The defending army was completely routed and fled into the nearby mountains to escape capture.”

“Historians argue that the cavalry charge effectively routed the infantry, turning what had been a stalemate into a chaotic and bloody retreat.”

Examples

simple

“The home team routed their rivals in a five-zero victory.”

contextual

“The defending army was completely routed and fled into the nearby mountains to escape capture.”

complex

“Historians argue that the cavalry charge effectively routed the infantry, turning what had been a stalemate into a chaotic and bloody retreat.”

Usage

The verb is transitive and takes a direct object.

Real-World Examples

“Callum Wilson scored just six minutes into his full debut, and captain Nathan Collins converted two headers as Brentford routed Championship side Birmingham 6-1.”
BreakingNews.ie · 25 Aug 2026
“Phone-driven connectivity, with cloud services routed through CarPlay and Android Auto, has proven both dependable and virtually seamless for some drivers.”
Ars Technica · 21 Jul 2026

Etymology

From route + -ed.

From rout + -ed.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry

Level
C1 · Advanced
Frequency
Frequent
Updated

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English Reference