I. transitive verb
Etymology: root (II)
: to remove altogether : eradicate , destroy
attempting to root out his mistakes — A.T.Weaver
powers to root out organized crime and political corruption — New York Times
movement to root the radicals out of American life — Oscar Handlin
II. transitive verb
Etymology: root (III)
: to turn over, dig up, or discover and bring to light
hogs rooting out truffles
spent the whole of March 8 rooting out those treasured possessions from holes and corners — Kenneth Roberts
a game which could root our grandfathers out of their beds at three o'clock in the morning — Stanislaus Lynch