root out meaning and definition

ROOT OUT verb

Definition of root out (verb)

1. pull up by or as if by the roots
   • "uproot the vine that has spread all over the garden"
   • synonyms: deracinate, extirpate, uproot
2. destroy completely, as if down to the roots
   • "the vestiges of political democracy were soon uprooted" "root out corruption"
   • synonyms: eradicate, exterminate, extirpate, uproot