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Showing results for the rub. Search instead for topaz ruby.
Definitions

the rub

NOUN
snag
Synonyms
STRONGEST
barrier bug crunch difficulty disadvantage drawback glitch hitch holdup hurdle impediment inconvenience obstacle stumbling block
STRONG
bar blockade brake catch clog crimp cropper curb drag fix hamper hole knot obstruction pickle problem puzzler scrape spot
WEAK
Catch-22 tight spot
Antonyms
STRONGEST
advantage aid assistance benefit blessing help
STRONG
boon solution
WEAK
convenience

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But here’s the rub: ByteDance will still own the algorithm and license it to the joint venture.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026

For Slot, who has regularly insisted that Liverpool have been unfortunate on many an occasion this season, there was an acceptable that his side had finally got the rub of the green.

From BBC • Feb. 22, 2026

Public-market investors had visibility into the 2000 bubble, but much less today—and there’s the rub.

From Barron's • Dec. 12, 2025

That’s where the rub came for Sarmiento and other Dodgers fans.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 4, 2025

But the rub is that there are two ways he can win and only one way you can win.

From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos