rob

verb

ˈräb 

robbed; robbing

transitive verb

1

a(1)

: to take something away from by force : steal from

(2)

: to take personal property from by violence or threat

b(1)

: to remove valuables without right from (a place)

(2)

: to take the contents of (a receptacle)

c

: to take away as loot : steal

rob jewelry

2

a

: to deprive of something due, expected, or desired

b

: to withhold unjustly or injuriously

intransitive verb

: to commit robbery

robber noun

Can rob mean 'to steal'?: Usage Guide

Transitive sense 1c, in which the direct object is the thing stolen, is sometimes considered to be wrong, or perhaps archaic. The sense has been in use since the 13th century and is found in earlier literature.

contrive to rob the honey and subvert the hive

—John Dryden

It is still in use though not as common as other senses.

then robbed $100 after the clerk fled

—Springfield (Massachusetts) Morning Union

Synonyms

• burglarize
• burgle
• knock off
• knock over
• rip off
• steal (from)
• take off [slang]

Examples of rob in a Sentence

Someone tried to rob me.

The cashier was robbed at gunpoint.

Recent Examples on the Web

Cops have arrested a motorist accused of attacking and robbing an NYPD traffic enforcement agent of his electronic summons book after getting a ticket on a busy Queens street, police said Friday. —Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 20 Dec. 2024

Also at danger from oil spills, which robbed them of the ability to stay warm, the number of sea otters is believed to have declined to as few as 50 individuals down from as high was 300,000. —Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, 20 Dec. 2024

Only a handful of states reinstate skimmed SNAP dollars using state funds, and unless Congress acts soon, federal funds will no longer be authorized to reimburse those who become victims of EBT theft after Friday — meaning most who are robbed of their grocery funds would not get them back. —Elizabeth Chuck, NBC News, 17 Dec. 2024

Elwood and Nana try the system, mounting a legal appeal, and the system robs them. —Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker, 14 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English robben, from Anglo-French rober, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German roubōn to rob — more at reave

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a(1)

Phrases Containing rob

• rob Peter to pay Paul
• rob someone blind
• rob the cradle

Kids Definition

rob

verb

ˈräb 

robbed; robbing

1

a

: to take something away from a person or place in secrecy or by force, threat, or trickery

b

: to take away as loot : steal

2

: to keep from getting something due, expected, or desired

robber noun