ruling out vs excluding

Both 'ruling out' and 'excluding' are correct phrases, but they are used in slightly different contexts. 'Ruling out' is commonly used when eliminating possibilities or options, especially in decision-making or problem-solving contexts. On the other hand, 'excluding' is more general and can be used in various situations to indicate leaving something out or not including it.

Last updated: March 25, 2024

ruling out

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English, especially in decision-making or problem-solving contexts.

Use 'ruling out' when you want to indicate the act of eliminating possibilities or options, especially in decision-making or problem-solving scenarios.

Examples:

After investigating further, we are ruling out the possibility of a technical malfunction.
She is systematically ruling out potential causes of the issue.
The detective is ruling out certain suspects based on the evidence.

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I think he was ruling out possible causes.
I'm not ruling out the arts, Bette.
The wear on all three, however, indicates an identical supination of the left heel, ruling out multiple owners.
My office isn't ruling out accidental poisoning, deliberate poisoning or even killer spiders.
Under Article 81(3), exemption regulations only apply - please listen carefully - when consumers receive an appropriate share of the benefit generated and no unnecessary restrictions ruling out competition are imposed.
The report has of course amended the initial proposal by ruling out a number of derogations on non-profit-making companies.
I'm just ruling out tropical disease.
However, the revised figures available for 2009 indicate a deficit of the public service mission, thereby ruling out any overcompensation this year.
As I said, the Council unanimously approved the Commission's text, ruling out any possibility of reviewing the 1985 directive on this occasion.
If it makes you feel better, I'm not ruling out a second date.
The French authorities shall have a similar clause, ruling out State liability, included in any contract relating to contract research services or other services referred to in Article 1(5).
The French authorities shall have a similar clause, ruling out liability of the publicly owned establishment IFP and the State, included in any contract involving a claim concluded by the public limited companies Axens, Beicip-Franlab and Prosernat.
In this respect, the ESCB/ ECB Statute protects the personal independence of the ECB decision-making bodies by stipulating relatively long fixedterm contracts and ruling out dismissal on the grounds of past policy conduct.
to make the quantitative objectives and time frame less coercive, ruling out any possible tightening up of targets; -
We are ruling out the involvement of national parliaments, national governments and the citizens who vote us in.
Otherwise, and following the reports that are coming from the Council, Spain is not ruling out asking for a revision of the judgment if Parliament's opinion is not taken into account.
Ten years have passed, the G20, like several Member States, is no longer ruling out the idea of such a tax, and above all, the financial crisis has served to remind us of the damage that volatile financial markets can cause.
It is an unfortunate fact that the clause ruling out the patenting of computer programs as such will be nothing but an illusion, as is the case with the current practices of the European Patent Office.
Supports efforts to protect the integrity of the game by ruling out conflicts of interests of major stakeholders in clubs or governing bodies;
How come we're ruling out the theory that the yeti moved his food stash - because we found it?

Alternatives:

eliminating
discarding
excluding as a possibility
rejecting
dismissing

excluding

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English in various contexts to indicate leaving something out or not including it.

Use 'excluding' when you want to indicate the act of leaving something out or not including it in a particular group or category.