Definition

1. Verb (transitive):
   • To force someone or something to leave a place, especially by searching thoroughly or applying pressure. This often implies a forceful or determined expulsion from a hiding place or refuge.
   • To find or discover something by making a thorough search.

Usage

• The primary use is to describe the act of making someone or something come out from where they are concealed, hidden, or settled.
• It can also describe the act of successfully locating something through diligent searching.

Examples

• Forcing out:
  • The hunters used dogs to rout out the foxes from their dens.
  • The new manager vowed to rout out corruption from the department.
• Finding by searching:
  • I managed to rout out that old photograph from a box in the attic.
  • She routed out several useful references in the archive.

Advanced Usage

• "rout out of": Commonly followed by "of" to specify the place from which someone or something is forced or discovered.
  • The security team routed the intruder out of the ventilation shaft.
• Often carries a connotation of effort, determination, or thoroughness in the action.

Variants and Related Words

• Rout (verb): To defeat completely and force to flee in disorder. (e.g., )
• Root out (phrasal verb): A very similar phrasal verb meaning to find and remove something completely, especially something undesirable. (e.g., ) Note: "rout out" and "root out" are often used interchangeably, though "root out" is more common for abstract problems.

Synonyms

• Flush out: To force into the open (often used for animals or people).
• Drive out: To compel to leave.
• Ferret out: To discover by searching determinedly.
• Unearth: To find something hidden or lost.

Phrasal Verbs

• As a phrasal verb, "rout out" is itself a unit. It is not typically broken down further into other phrasal combinations.

Related Idioms

• While not a standalone idiom, the action of "routing out" is central to idioms like "to rout out corruption/incompetence," implying a thorough cleansing or removal.

Verb

1. cause to flee
   • rout out the fighters from their caves
2. force or drive out
   • The police routed them out of bed at 2 A.M.
3. get or find by searching
   • What did you rout out in the library?